Common Misconceptions
by TFK-fan118
Summary: She had believed she had known mostly everything pertaining to one of favorite stories. However, fate seems to desire to prove her wrong. Or have a good laugh. Either or. Without much of a warning, Scarlett Tate is flung into a world she had only read about. She quickly learns things in fandom aren't always true. Previously titled 'This Can't Be Real.' Revision complete.
1. Chapter 1

_"I can't believe it's finally over," _a girl thought. She was eighteen years of age. The closing ceremony of school had ended. As she walked towards the front gate of the school, she couldn't help but to think of the good and bad memories. Because of being a foreigner, times had been tough. However, there were good times as well. She smiled. Hopefully, it was all uphill from here. _"I can't wait to get home. I'll finally be able to finish that story now that I don't have to worry about school work." _True to her thoughts, there was a story she was itching to finish. Her dream was to become an author. She had studied countless literature topics whilst in school.

"Hey Scar-sama…!" a friend called out to her. Hazel eyes shifted before the girl completely turned around. She smiled upon recognizing Takagi Momo. "You wanna come with us to celebrate? I think there's going to be a mixer." They had been trying to hook her up with someone since she became friends with them. Nothing ever happened, though. No one her age wanted to date a "hot-blooded American woman" like her. Her name was Scarlett Tate, and she did not mess around.

"Sorry, but I really have to get home. My mom told me to call her," Scarlett answered. "Maybe another time, Momo-chan."

"Sure!" her friend said. "And don't go and be reading too much of those _Yu Yu Hakusho_ stories! That's how I got addicted!"

Giving a wry smile, Scarlett waved goodbye. Slowly, she dropped her arm. She had become good friends with Momo, and it was because of her that she became so engrossed with the anime and manga known as _Yu Yu Hakusho_. Scarlett sighed heavily, and then continued on her way. Home was not far from the school. She quickly walked up the stairs, going past many apartment doors until she reached her own. She took keys from her school bag and unlocked the door. Kicking off her shoes, Scarlett hopped across the floor. "I'm home!" Of course there was no one there to answer her in her small apartment. Now that school was finished, she would have to start paying for things herself. After she spoke with her mother, she would have to see if the job she had in the summer was still available to her. Scarlett tossed her bag on the floor, and then headed over to her laptop.

She had left it on, so it wasn't long before the Skype program appeared before her. Scarlett sat down and searched for her mom's information. The drone of the beep entered her ears. Soon after, her mother finally answered. "Hello, Scarlett!" A woman—perhaps in her forties—smiled brightly. Her name was Rebecca Tate. Scarlett and she shared a resemblance. However, most would agree that she looked more like her father, Andrew Tate. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make to your grad-" her mother began.

"Mom, it's okay!" She almost rolled her eyes. "You live in America! I don't expect you to come all the way to Chiba, Japan just to snap some pictures." The teen grinned, causing her mom to reply flatly.

"Harhar," she laughed sarcastically. "So… how's my baby living over in Japan?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, kaa-san!" Scarlett almost rolled her eyes. "Besides everything is going great."She pursed her lips. It was time to stop beating around the bush. "Oh, and did I tell you that I moved out and living on my own?"

"WHAT?!" her mother screamed. The computer couldn't take the sudden movement and sound, so it froze for a few moments. The daughter rolled her eyes at the dramatics of her mother.

_"Should have known that was coming,"_ Scarlett thought, frowning. Finally, the image returned to normal and so did the sound.

"What are you planning to do—live in Japan?" Clearly, her mother was upset.

"Well... yeah," Scarlett answered. "I mean, I already speak fluent Japanese, so I guess after the third quarter, I moved out on my own."

"How come the person that handles the foreign exchange student program didn't call me?" her mother asked.

"Because… I told them I… already called you," Scarlett laughed nervously.

"And how _long_ were you going to keep this a secret from _me_!" her mother's voice was rising with every word.

"_Um_… Until I got out of school," Scarlett answered. "Which is now..." Rebecca Tate was quiet for a moment. Suddenly, she broke out into a grin.

"Look at my daughter—all grown up!" her mother exclaimed cheerfully. "So strong! So independent! I did a fine job with you!" Scarlett couldn't help but stare in disbelief. "Don't get hurt now, bye!" Without warning, the woman ended the call. The daughter found herself twitching.

_"Man, if I could anime sweat drop, I would!" _Scarlett thought. Sighing, she closed the problem. _"Typical mom. Being mad one minute, and then cheerful the next. I swear, she acts like Botan."_

After Scarlett ate a snack, she signed on to the Internet. Finally, she would finish her story. She had been working on this story for quite some time now—a Sesshomaru and original character pairing. However, the pairing did not come right away. In fact, it wouldn't show itself until the very end. The story was really about Sesshomaru and his past. The past that she had made up. She also liked having him interact with his brother more. After typing for about a half an hour, Scarlett decided to take a break and check out some YYH fanfiction. Momo is the one that got her hooked, after all. She rarely read _Inuyasha_ fanfiction anymore.

"Ooh, this sounds like a good one by the title!" Scarlett murmured. The title had been intriguing so she decided to read the summary. "Hm… 'Kurama finally admits his feelings for HIEI!' Well…" She narrowed her eyes. "_That's_ not gonna fly." Scarlett had given into the temptation of reading yaoi before, and there had been many to choose from. However, that time had been a traumatizing one. The author had completely changed their characters. Never would she think that Hiei would spout nonsense like 'Oh, I love you so much. I want to be with you forever. Kurama, I'm going to have you.' And the response was even more ridiculous. 'Hiei… I love you, too. I can't believe you would… Please take me, Hiei!' Scarlett had wanted to vomit all over her laptop. She grimaced just thinking about it. "No way in hell am I experiencing that again. I guess it's true what they say… One bad apple ruins the entire bunch." She clicked on something another link. However, it was accidental. Scarlett tried to go back, but the page had already began loading. The girl sighed heavily again. The title 'Join the Adventure' was _so_ original. The summary: 'How would you like to meet the YYH gang?'

"I think that's pretty stupid for the summary, but I'll just wait until I can go back," Scarlett murmured. Suddenly, an annoying buzz entered her ears. She reached up and grabbed her head, which had begun to hurt. The world around her began to spin. Images of Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and the rest of characters of Yu Yu Hakusho flashed through her eyes. "What the hell?!" Scarlett screamed.

Then everything went black.

0-0

"_Ow_… My head," she moaned, rubbing my head. "Where am I?" It appeared as though she was in an alley. It was dark—nighttime. "Where the hell am I?!" Scarlett stood up and began walking around. "This is just great… I don't know where I am, how I got here, or how the bloody hell do I get back!" Her scream echoed in the night. "And how the hell did it get dark so fast!" A sickening feeling was suddenly felt in her stomach. The girl hunched over and hurled her lunch.

"What's a human doing around here at night?" a voice said. This distorted voice sent shivers through Scarlett's body. "About to become my prey, I suppose."

_"A thug…? Maybe I should try out my moves on him,"_ she thought. "Hey, whoever you are…! You sure did pick a very bad day to mess with me!"

The voice laughed. A large figure stepped from the shadows. Scarlett's eyes expanded. Not only was she surprised, she just about shit herself. "Who—no, _what_ the hell are you?!" she screamed. This thing didn't look human at all! It looked like a cross between a boar and a mouse.

"I'm your worst nightmare!" the thing laughed. "And you're my midnight snack."

This thing was huge. A demon…? Stuff like that didn't _really_ exist, right? This would not end well at all. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try. Then again… maybe it would. "Bring… Bring it," Scarlett muttered, sinking into a defensive stance. Her body trembled, yet her eyes held firm into the demon-like thing's eyes. Suddenly, the head fell off and dark green stuff came out of the body. If the lunch hadn't already been emptied, surely it would have after that sight. "That was a demon's head," Scarlett said ever so softly.

"Are you alright miss?" a strangely sounding voice asked.

"That was a demon's head," she said again. This time it was slightly louder.

"_Um_... Miss…?" the voice said again.

"THAT WAS A FREAKING _**DEMON'S**_ HEAD!" Scarlett let out a scream. She turned around, yet her saliva felt stuck in her throat. Red hair, brilliant green eyes, a dangerous whip—it was all a dangerous combination. _"It can't be,"_ she thought.

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

"K-Kurama…?" she stuttered. His eyes widened when she said that. That is when she knew. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kurama asked, noticing. He came closer to the young woman. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. "This is a very traumatizing experience, is it not? I am sorry for this." His eyes narrowed. "But I must ask… How is it that you know my name?" Ignoring his question, Scarlett only ranted to herself.

"This isn't happening! I-I… This is insane!" she cried out. She gripped his clothes and squeezed her eyes shut. Gods, he even smelled like nature. This was too real to be unreal… "No, no…!" She shook her head. "This can't be real!"

"But why?" he asked. "Who are you?" Before he could question further, the girl had suddenly gone limp. His eyebrows knitted together, genuinely perplexed. He was not expecting to come across a strange foreigner while tracking that demon. In addition to her appearance, she also knew of his other name. He lifted the woman, supporting her legs and back. He would need to tell the others about this. _"It's strange,"_ he thought, watching her unconscious form. _"Her energy… It appeared from thin air. It was because of her energy suddenly appearing did I pinpoint this location. Where did you come from?"_

0-0

Hey, guys…! I had revisited some of my older stories awhile back and realized what complete bullcrap they were, so I decided to revise them. Seriously, this was god awful before I revised it. I am ashamed, but I will revise all the chapters one by one.

~This story had been taken down before due to some type of rating problem the summary had, so.. expect really quick updates. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Scarlett awoke on a couch inside a small room. She didn't open her eyes yet, though. There seemed to be several people talking. Their voices were quiet. She could only clearly recognize one of them. The rest were vaguely recognizable. How many were there? From the voices, there were… three? What were they saying? "… I don't know who she is, but it's strange for a human to come into contact with a demon. Also, she knew my name." That was one. Scarlett mentally grimaced. So it hadn't been a dream. She really had come into contact with a character from a fictional show.

_"He's probably talking to the others then?"_ Scarlett rationalized. She supposed that they hadn't realized she was awake yet. Then it's logical to let them stay that way until she figured out a story to tell them. _"If this really isn't a dream, though, could it be that I've really gone insane?"_ The thought was depressing, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

"But how does she know? Is she a physic or something?" another voice asked… loudly.

_"Kuwabara…? Yeah, I think that's him,"_ Scarlett thought, trying not to grimace. It wasn't because of the character, but it was because this was really getting out of a hand. When she dreamed of anime, it was merely one or two characters, not several. This was becoming more and more real, wasn't it?

"I believe the word you're looking for is psychic. However, I highly doubt that, Kuwabara," Kurama's voice replied. "I doubt that she's anything supernatural for that matter. I sense very little spirit energy coming from her."

_"WHAT…! Very little spirit energy?!" _Scarlett could stop her lip from twitching. Sure it was normal for a normal person, but it sounded much like an insult to her ears. Her fingers clenched at her sides.

"It's not like you to do something so illogical, Kurama. You should have erased her memory and left her there!" This voice caused Scarlett's eyebrow to twitch. One of her veins bulged as the male went on. "She's only a weak human girl. She knows nothing." More twitching and more bulging veins came from said 'weak human girl.' "For all we know, she only knows your name because of the Dark Tournament."

That was it. She couldn't take it anymore. "I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK HUMAN GIRL!" Scarlett yelled as she sat up. Her glare was directed to the one who had insulted her. His glare was stronger, and the teen almost wavered. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm weak, Hiei! Or do you forget how Yusuke kicked your ass?" She forced a laugh. "I can't wait until Kuwabara-kun can kick your ass, you tree hugging asshole!"

By then, she realized how big of mistake she made.

All the room's occupants stared at her with suspicious eyes. Of course they would. How the hell did she know all of their names? Scarlett mentally beat herself up for being such an idiot. She chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. Kurama was the one who stepped forward. "How did you come across this information?" he asked.

"I say we kill her," Hiei almost hissed. He was probably pissed because she had the gull to hope that Kuwabara defeat him. This was bad, Scarlett thought.

"_Um_… Would you believe that I'm a seer and can see into the future?" The teens known as Yusuke and Kazuma shared a look. Clearly they were thinking about it. However, Kurama and Hiei seemed incredulous. Finally, the two humans returned suspicious eyes to her. "I guess not," she muttered. Scarlett didn't really come up with anything to tell them. Should she lie?

"How much do you know?" Kurama asked. Scarlett's feet touched the floor, yet she didn't stand. Hiei's hand was inching toward his concealed weapon. Scarlett sighed heavily.

"Properly everything…" she answered, gloomily. "Are you gonna take me to Koenma's now?"

"You know Koenma, too?!" Kuwabara pointed a finger. Again, Scarlett mentally bashed her head into a wall. "Who _are_ you?!"

"My name is Scarlett Tate," she replied with a shrug. "Believe me when I tell you that I'm just as confused as you all. I think… I come from a different world from this one."

"Spirit World?"

"Demon World?"

"Uh… none of the above…"

The room was silent for a moment. "This is becoming annoying," Yusuke frowned. "Pacifier breath probably needs to know about this."

"I'm not a thing, Yusuke," Scarlett sighed out. "But I think you're right. I don't belong here, and I kinda want to go home. He might know how to get me back."

"Very well…" Kurama announced, causing the girl to look his way. His green eyes, though, were focused elsewhere. "Botan, open the portal please."

"Botan…?" Scarlett repeated, confused "I don't see-"

"Sweet, sassy ferry girl at your service!" The grim reaper appeared out of no where. Scarlett literally jumped from her seat. "One portal coming up!" Botan smiled brightly. Once her heart rate decreased, the girl point a finger.

"Don't do that! You want me to have a heart attack?"

"No need to get snippy! You're much too young to have one of those!" Botan cheerfully replied. Scarlett's eye twitched. She and her mother really were alike. "Here's your portal!" Botan announced. A swirling void appeared before her. Kuwabara went in first. Then Botan, and then Scarlett went in next.

0-0

"That wasn't a bad landing if I do say so myself," Scarlett said, happy that she didn't land in an awkward position.

"That's only because you landed on _me_!" Yusuke yelled from under the dog pile. The young woman lowered her eyes.

"Actually, Yusuke, I landed on Botan, who landed on Kuwabara, who landed on you!" she corrected. "I thought you were smarter than that. I suppose I have to reevaluate you guys. You must be different from your canon counterparts, right?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but get off me already!" Yusuke yelled.

"What brings you guys here at this hour?" Koenma asked. His voice caused all present to look up. The office looked just how it did in the show. The young ruler of Spirit World had not looked up from stamping papers. He really did appear like a toddler.

"We've got a huge problem," Yusuke said.

"_I'm not really a problem, am I?"_ Scarlett thought, glaring down the Spirit Detective. Finally, she jumped from the dog pile, allowing everyone else to untangle themselves and stand.

"Is it a demon?" Koenma asked. Still, he did not look up.

"No, it's actually a human," Kurama answered. "But she seems to know us… All of us. Also, she states that she comes from a different world entirely."

"Everyone seems to know us recently," Koenma murmured. His beady eyes finally lifted from his task. His gaze settled on Scarlett. He suddenly stood and slammed his palms on the table. "Why have you brought a living human here?! My father will not like this!"

_"So he really wasn't paying attention!"_ Scarlett thought.

"We wanted to know what you would like us to do," Kurama said. Koenma didn't say anything for a long time. His eyes were closed, causing him to appear as though he had dosed off. Scarlett was not a very patient type of person. When her patient finally snapped, she snapped as well. She briskly walked forward, and then slammed her hands on the desk. Koenma jumped as the stacked papers did.

"YO…! EARTH TO TODDLER BREATH! YOU BETTER SPEAK NOW BEFORE I FOREVER SHOVE KURAMA'S ROSE WHIP TEN INCHES DOWN YOUR THROAT!" she hissed angrily. "And I don't mean that in a good way!" Noticing how quiet it became, Scarlett turned her eyes back to the group behind her. "What?!"

"Nothing...! It's just that sounded like something I'd say," Yusuke answered. He grinned. "I think I might like you." Scarlett quickly calmed down. How embarrassing, she thought.

_"Maybe it's because you did say something like that," _Scarlett bowed her head a bit. "Anyway, Koenma-sama," she coughed lightly. She began to explain what happened before she encountered the demon and Kurama. She even told him that where she came from, they were only fictional characters. After she was finished with her explanation, she stared at the young ruler expectedly. "Do you think you might know what's going on?"

"It seems that you're from a different dimension," Koenma said after clearing his throat. "I don't remember seeing your picture and I have every file of everyone in the three worlds."

"My name is Scarlett Tate, but my friends call me Scar-sama," Scarlett announced. "I'm pretty smart. I'm determined and confident. I'm not afraid to speak my mind as you all just witnessed. I'm an only child. My height is 5'5. I'm not telling you my weight. My blood type is 'A' positive. My hobbies include reading, writing, and laughing."

"What is this—an online dating ad?" Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"Any questions?" Scarlett asked, ignoring the smartass remark.

"Uh… yeah actually… Why would your friends give you a name like Scar-sama?" Kuwabara asked.

"Well, my first day at a Japanese school, this guy was making fun of me because I'm American, and I did not like that at all," Scarlett shrugged her shoulders.

"So what happened?" Yusuke asked.

"Let's just say that I left a mark," Scarlett answered, smirking. She crossed her arms. "And that's how I got the nickname. Apparently, he was the school bully, and everyone just started calling me that."

"Oh," Yusuke said.

"Yeah… So what I want to know is…" Scarlett returned her attention to Koenma. "How do I get back?"

"I… I… I have no clue," Koenma responded.

"What…?! Bu-But _why_?!"

"I'm afraid I do not have that information. Traveling through dimensions isn't exactly common, you know," Koenma answered. "I suppose I will have to speak with my father on the matter."

"Oh, good… for a moment, I thought I'd be stuck here," Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief. Not that she didn't want to be here, but it was great that she had a way back home. "So where is your dad?"

"Um... unfortunately… he's on vacation."

"And how long will it be till he returns?" Scarlett asked, voice rising with everyone word. Also, her eye was twitching.

"_Uh_… two and a half months," Koenma said quietly.

"Excuse me, I couldn't quite hear that… Can you repeat it?" Scarlett asked.

"I said two and a half months," Koenma said slightly louder. Scarlett blinked a few times, and then she breathe.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO AND A HALF MONTHS?!" she yelled.

"It's not my fault _you_ decided to drop in from some other world!" Koenma yelled back.

"Oh, so now it's _my_ fault, huh?!" Scarlett retorted. "You think I _wanted_ to be here?! I'd _rather_ be in _Inuyasha_ with that brother of his!"

"What? Who…?" Koenma asked.

"… Th-That's not important!" Her face became flushed. How embarrassing would it be if they found out she had a crush on someone who wasn't even real? Then again, she had thought they hadn't been real. Perhaps, she could get dropped into the Inuyasha universe next time? Scarlett shook her head. This was seriously not the time to be thinking of that! "What is important is _where_ am I going to be living until your dad comes back!" Scarlett rubbed her temples. "You make my head numb. I can't take this." The two began to bicker about that.

_"She's yelling at Koenma-sama,"_ Botan thought. _"Is this the appearance of another Yusuke?"_ She sighed heavily.

_"This girl gives me a weird feeling…!" _Kuwabara thought. _"But she can't be all bad if she hopes I kick Hiei's ass! Haha!"_ He grinned as he continued to watch the girl and Koenma argue.

_"GO SCAR!" _Yusuke thought, smirking. It was about time someone else yelled at Koenma.

_"…" _Hiei narrowed his eyes. _"This is ridiculous."_

_I like her. She's got one heck of a mouth on her. I wonder how she tas-_

_"Control yourself, Yoko," _Kurama warned his alter ego.

_As usual, you're no fun._

"Fine then…!" Koenma hissed. "Choose between one of them!" He pointed a chubby finger at the group.

"Fine then, I will!" Scarlett shouted. She whirled around, focusing her attention on the group. She honed in on Yusuke. "No," she said, and then moved on to Kuwabara. "Hell no!" Her eyes turned to Hiei. "Something tells me my life would be at risk if I'm with you." The fire demon's eyebrow twitched in agreement. Scarlett ignored the nod she saw Hiei give. She looked towards the last one. "Then I guess it's you, roommate."

"What?" Kurama asked.

"Didn't you hear? I'm sleeping at your place!" Scarlett said.

"But I… This is sudden," Kurama began.

"Indeed it is. However, you are probably the only one who I can get along with," Scarlett explained. "Yusuke and I would probably behave like siblings towards each other, playing, fighting—things like that. We wouldn't get anything accomplished. If I were to room with Kuwabara-kun, we're bound to fight over his cat. Hiei would ultimately kill me because of my antics. You have to deal with these three on the daily bases, and yet you haven't killed them yet. It's safe to say that you are my best option." Kurama blinked, and then released a soft sigh.

"By that logic, I suppose you are correct," his eyes narrowed. "-Which makes me wonder how much you know about us individually."

"You'd be surprised how much my world knows about you. I'm not an exception," Scarlett murmured. She crossed her arms. "I know you probably don't trust me, but that's okay. I wouldn't trust a strange girl either. Still, if I try anything, you could always overpower me. I'm not that much of a threat when it comes to demons and super powered humans."

"So I guess its settled!" Botan clapped her hands.

"Great, when do we leave?" Scarlett asked.

"You can leave after they formally introduce themselves," Koenma said. The girl sighed heavily. Something like that wasn't necessary. "These are the people that you will see often while you stay here are Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, Hiei, and Kurama. In the Human World, he's known as Shuichi. You will also see Botan from time to time."

"Like I said, I already know you guys," Scarlett nodded her. She pointed at the ferry girl. "Botan, your happy nature is refreshing, but tone it down sometimes." She pointed to the leader of the detectives. "Yusuke, you're badass, so I'm going to like you. I'm pretty sure we're going to be get along, but your cockiness might rub off on me, so tone that down, too."

"I can't promise you anything."

"Kuwabara-kun, you need to use that brain of yours because I know you can," Scarlett pointed at the carrot top. "I'm challenging you since I like you so much!"

"HEY!" Kuwabara shouted.

Ignoring the outburst, Scarlett moved over to Hiei. He didn't like her eyes examining him. "Do you think you understand me?" She blinked, and then walked over to him.

"Can… Can I hug you?" Scarlett asked.

"What? No!"

"Aww, come on, I'll give you sweet snow."

"…"

"I know you want it~!"

"… This is why I dislike human women." Hiei turned his back on Scarlett. She took this chance to latch onto him from behind. "Get off!" He shoved her away. "If you weren't human, I'd kill you." Luckily, his threat was the only thing he did. Scarlett sighed, and then shifted her attention to the last member of the group. She circled him a few times before coming to a stop. She narrowed her eyes.

"Forgive me, Kurama, but I just _have_ to know if it's true," Scarlett murmured. She then grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall. Without warning, she kissed him full on the lips. The red head became so shocked that his lips parted, allowing Scarlett to slip her tongue past. Her tongue found his quickly, and went to work enticing him to respond. To her utter surprise, Kurama slowly returned the sudden kiss. Scarlett wasn't the only one shocked. Their jaws dropped.

Americans women were bold, after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Scarlett released her red-headed captive. She gasped for breath as she watched his reaction. Kurama panted as his tongue licked his lips. His eyes flashed to gold so fast that Scarlett almost didn't see it. "Definitely…! It's definitely not true!" The girl backed away, fingertips touching her lips. She smirked a bit. _"He even chased after me!" _she thought. _"Ha…! Take _that_ yaoi fanfiction!"_

_"W-Why did she kiss me?"_ Kurama thought once he composed himself. He had even allowed himself to succumb to her advances.

_Who cares? What counts is that she kissed us in the first place. Whoo hoo!_

_"But she-"_ Kurama was interrupted.

_I said _whoo hoo!

"_Um_… Scar, why did you kiss Kurama?" Yusuke asked. "I mean, I know you Americans have no modesty when it comes to skinship, but that was just too much!"

"Well, I don't think I should say really…" Scarlett muttered. "I don't think he wants to know anyway."

"But I do," Kurama said.

"No, you don't. You really don't want to know," Scarlett warned "And neither does the other you."

"Yes, I do," Kurama repeated.

"Kurama, for once in your life, do not be the fox that you are," Scarlett rubbed her nose with her index finger. She wasn't necessary embarrassed, but she should have controlled herself more. She could have just asked him, but that would be considered rude. Then again… _"I guess kissing him like that was rude, too,"_ Scarlett thought, mentally sighing. "Trust me you do not want to know the reason," she said out loud.

"Please tell me," Kurama urged. "I do not think we could live together if I have to worry about you suddenly taking advantage of me." The blush returned full blast on Scarlett's face. He made it seem like she had just _raped_ him or something!

"Alright, but I did warn you for a reason," Scarlett grumbled. She cleared her throat, and then stepped forward again. Her next sentence was whispered in his ear as to not embarrass him in front of his friends and co-workers. "You see, in my world, there are many, many, many stories about you. In these stories, you're _flamboyantly_ homosexual." Kurama eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Yeah… I think it's because you look like a female. I suppose up close like this, you are very pretty, but obviously you're not. _Heh_, but don't worry about it. I know that you're not… now, at least." She gave him a friendly pat on the back. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hiei smirking._"I don't know why he's smirking,"_ Scarlett thought. _"In those stories, he's always the lover." _He looked like he might faint. _"That's what you get for reading my mind!"_ Scarlett mentally kicked the demon. Hiei just glared at her and mentally kicked her right back. The teen grimaced because she actually felt it.

"Scarlett, Kurama, if you're ready," Koenma said, rolling his eyes. "Botan, make a portal."

"Right away, Koenma-sama!" Botan replied.

0-0

"My house is just around the corner," Kurama told her. His unexpected houseguest nodded her head. The two were walking together, mostly in silence. The others had already gone their separate ways. Scarlett shifted her eyes to and from the ground during most of the walk. Kurama had mostly stared straight ahead. Things were awkward between them. And why wouldn't it be? Strangers, kissing each other like that weren't a common occurrence in Japan. Scarlett idly planned with the hem of her shirt. She never had the chance to change out of it before she was somehow transported here. She glanced at Kurama out of the corner of her eye. He still donned his school uniform as well.

_"I wonder if his house is as big as the stories say,"_ she thought. They came to the end of the street. The last house on the left stated that it belonged to the Minamino family. It was Kurama's human last name. _"Well, that's disappointing."_ Sure, it was big in regards to her apartment back home since it was a house, but it wasn't anything special. It didn't even have a second level. Scarlett suddenly stopped. It took only a moment for Kurama to realize this. "Wait a minute…!" He turned to her. "What are we going to tell your family?"

"My mother owns this house. However, she moved in with her fiancé. I have been living here by myself for a couple of months now," Kurama explained.

"Oh," Scarlett followed him through the front gate. "So you live alone? Do you get lonely?"

He actually chuckled. "Not exactly. Yusuke and Kuwabara usually come to play quite often," Kurama answered as he unlocked the door. He went inside, prompting Scarlett to do the same. After taking their shoes off, they stepped up. "Please allow me to show you to your room. I have been keeping it for storage, but there are only a few items. I'll be sure to take care of them in the morning." Scarlett nodded once more as she followed him through the house. It didn't take long for them to reach her assigned room. "This is your room," Kurama stated, glancing back. He opened the door, allowing Scarlett to move past him. It was plain. There was a bed, a desk, and a few boxes. She flipped on the light. The walls were painted sky blue. "Our rooms are connected with the bathroom, but there is another bathroom on the far side of the house, near the kitchen." He backed away. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." And with that, he walked away.

Scarlett listened to his footsteps depart until she could no longer hear them. She then closed the door, softly. She sat down on the bed. It looked as though it hadn't been used in awhile. Hazel eyes examined her temporary room. There was a lot of dust. _"So even guys like Kurama don't clean if they don't have to, huh?"_ she thought. Scarlett lied back and stared at the ceiling. _"I wonder how I'll fuck shit up first."_

0-0

This was odd. His alter ego had stopped whispering in his mind. He had been silent for quite some time now. In the comforts of his room, Kurama initiated contact with Yoko. It was something that he could do now. After the Demon Tournament, the fox had become something akin to another personality within his person. In fact, from time to time, he could emerge and take over the body. Kurama sat on his bed, eyes on the floor. _"Is something wrong, old friend?"_ he thought. _"You haven't spoken." _It took a moment, but he finally received an answer.

_Shuichi, this is your fault._

"_I beg your pardon?"_

_Before I 'died,' women threw themselves at my feet, hoping to share my bed if only for a night._

Kurama had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. His old self was prideful when it came to stealing and… sexual matters. In this life, Kurama did not engage in any of those acts. The red head listened to his alter ego complain about not 'getting some' since he arrived in this world. Apparently, that is the reason it was his fault that others believed him to be homosexual. Kurama gave a frustrated sigh. _"What does it matter? Both of us know that it isn't true. No need to get worked up about it."_

_That is easy for you to say. You don't know what it's like to lay a woman. That was your first kiss wasn't it? _

Because he was not in the presence of others, he did not have to hold back. Kurama's cheeks gained a pink hue. He closed his eyes as the image of Scarlett kissing him entered his mind. _"Stop it, Yoko!"_ he thought. Still, the memory remained. He felt himself stiffen. Yoko had been right. That had been his first time. Women were not a top priority in this life as they had been in his last one. He felt his lips. They didn't tingle, but he could still remember what it was like to feel her tongue gliding across them.

A knock at the door caused his eyes to snap open.

He breathed deeply, pulling back his self-control. "Come in," Kurama said. Scarlett probably had a question to ask. The door opened, revealing said houseguest. However, she wore nothing but a towel. Water droplets slid down her skin. Her dark hair was still damp. Green eyes expanded. Without a word, Scarlett made her way over to Kurama. She climbed on his sitting form, wrapping her legs around his torso. Kurama let out a strangled gasp. "S-Scarl-" The girl quickly silenced him by placing a finger to his lips.

"Kurama… do you like me?" Scarlett whispered. Her lips grazed his earlobe. Kurama swallowed hard. "Did you… enjoy that kiss I gave you?" she asked. His breath hitched as she nipped his ear. "Would you like another, Kurama?" She reared back. Not giving him a chance to answer, she immediately kissed him again. Forcing him back, the girl pried open his mouth and invaded, massaging his tongue with her own. Suddenly, she pulled back and said his name. Confused, Kurama opened his eyes. She called him again. She suddenly felt weightless. Kurama squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them again. Scarlett was no longer hovering above him. She was now standing in the doorway. She appeared to be quite annoyed… with only a towel on.

"Kurama…!" she almost growled. "Are you going to answer me or not?"

"Huh? What?" he sounded breathless.

"I asked you could I borrow a big T-shirt and some shorts… and you totally zoned out on me," Scarlett exclaimed. "So can I have them or not? I don't have anything to wear."

"Sorry… Sure, I will get them," Kurama replied. He stood, almost in a daze, and going over to his drawer. Scarlett watched his back, eyebrow raised. _"Was that all a daydream?" _he thought. The red head turned, only to find Scarlett was right in front of him.

"Thanks!" she took the items from him. "Listen, my presence will probably take some time getting used to. I know I can be a bit intimidating as far as actions go. But if you're uncomfortable, I will try to change. I mean, it is your house." She gave Kurama a smile. "So if you don't want me walking about in a towel after a shower, I'm going to need a robe." Kurama nodded his head. "Good, that means we—or me, frankly I don't care—will need to go shopping… tomorrow."

"_Ah_, yes that is necessary," he said.

"Great, see you in the morning then!" Scarlett grinned, and then sashayed away, closing the door as she went.

_Nice daydream… pervert. I could have done better_, _though._

"_Hush, Yoko,"_ the blush returned to his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurama turned over onto his stomach. The smell of cooked food entered his nose. His ears twitched, hearing a sizzle-like sound. He opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the morning sun. He turned his head to the side. Breakfast, he thought. Sitting up, he looked towards his door. "Right…" He now had a new houseguest. She had probably gotten hungry. Kurama stood up and walked towards the door. He made his way to the kitchen where he found Scarlett in front of the stove.

She was humming to herself, eyes focused on the omelet in front of her. Scarlett was not aware of her host's presence until he spoke. "You do not have to trouble yourself," Kurama stated. The teen flinched at his voice. She sighed heavily. The guy was about as quiet as a cat. Rolling her eyes, she continued to flip the omelet. She supposed she would have to get used to him sneaking up on her since she couldn't sense energy.

"Trouble myself…?" Scarlett murmured. "I'm not. I always cook breakfast for myself before I leave my apartment."

"Yourself…? _Ah_, I see where I made the mistake," Kurama said. Scarlett almost snickered at the tone in his voice. "Well then, carry on." The red head walked away, leaving his guest to tremble. She was trying desperately to hold in her laughter. Kurama probably thought that she hadn't made anything for him. Now, that would have just been plain rude! Of course, she already had a plate ready for him.

Once her egg dish was finished, she loaded it onto a plate. Scarlett had woken up extremely early. Her body naturally did that whenever she fell asleep in an unfamiliar place. Since she had woken early, she had done a bit of exploring in the house. Totally uneventful, but useful nonetheless. Scarlett hummed as she slid the omelet out of the skillet and onto the plate. She slid the drawer opening, pulling out a knife. She sliced the omelet several times. Then, she did the same to the other omelet. She tossed the knife and other utensils into the sink, and then picked up the two plates.

Kurama looked mildly surprised that she sat a plate down in front of him. He had been drinking the cup of apple juice that she sat out for him. "It's a loaded one," Scarlett mentioned, sitting beside him at the squared table. She sat her own plate in front of her. "Bacon, ham, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream… That's fine with you, right?"

"That depends... Are you trying to give me high cholesterol?" he asked.

"Hey, I can't help that I was born and raised in America, okay? Now, just eat it!" She playfully held up a fist. Kurama nodded his head and gave her a tiny smile, glad that she understood his joke. The red-haired male did a double-take. The color of Scarlett's eyes had changed from hazel to blue.

"Is there a reason why your eyes are different?" he asked as he began to eat. The girl laughed a bit.

"Yeah, I wanted to fit in as much as I could in my high school, so I got colored contacts. I got into the habit of wearing them, that's all." She began eating as well. She wiggled in her seat. "It's sooo good!" Kurama chuckled. "Say, when can we go shopping?"

"Whenever you're ready, I suppose. It's the weekend, so my schedule is free."

"That's great. So after I take a shower, and you're ready, we can go." She nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan." The two ate in silence. Well, it wasn't as awkward as last night. Still, maybe she should have sat across from him instead of right next to him. Scarlett mentally shrugged. Could've, would've, should've…! She quickly ate her meal, and then stood. "I'll need an hour." She gulped down her juice, and then slammed the glass down as if she had down straight alcohol. Kurama's eye twitched. "See ya!"

He watched her go, wondering why it would take her an hour to get ready. He only pondered it for a few minutes before coming to the conclusion that she was female. He continued to eat, taking the time to enjoy the meal. It was actually quite good. Once he was finished, he stood up, taking his plate and glass with him. Deciding to clean the used dishes, he turned on the faucet. Living with the strange woman would indeed take some getting used to. However, two and half months would fly by quickly. _"It's best not to get attached to her. An attachment would cause protest in the future. Perhaps I should tell the others this as well?_"

Kurama finished his task, and then headed to his room. However, as he walked past Scarlett's temporary room, noises caused him to stop. Obviously, the noises were coming from his houseguest, yet they were oddly… sensual. His green eyes widen a bit. She couldn't be… could she? Subconsciously, the red head stepped closer. "_Ah_… _Ah_… _Ah_… _Ah_…!" A blush exploded across Kurama's face. There was no way! Still, the panting did not leave his ears. He ran a hand through his hair. Just what type of woman was she? He shook his head and continued on to his room. He would have to have a little talk with Scarlett if she would continue to live here.

0-0

"I have to go take care of something, so we'll meet at the food court in an hour," Kurama stated.

"That's fine," Scarlett nodded her head. "It shouldn't take that long anyway." Stiffly, the red head walked away. Something was… off with him. He had been acting differently ever since breakfast. Scarlett couldn't quite put her finger on the reason for his sudden change. After all, the change was subtle. Also, on the car ride over, he kept glancing at her. It was a bit weird. She knew he didn't trust her, but seriously, what could she do in a compacted space like a car?

Shrugging, Scarlett decided she didn't care. If he was paranoid about her, then it would be him that suffered. She turned and headed in the opposite direction. Kurama gave her a card and told her not to spend too much. That was fine. She intended to get seven tops and seven bottoms. That would last her months. Other things would be essential things like a toothbrush, hair stuff, and other things. "Let's get started then!"

It was about an hour later that Scarlett slammed the trunk of Kurama's car down. That didn't take long at all. She would meet with Kurama in a few minutes. Luckily, the dude didn't notice that she took his car keys. A cheeky grin spread across her face. _He_ used to be a world class thief? _Ha_! She spun the keys around her finger as she walked back into the mall. _"Where's the food court again?"_ Her blue eyes shifted to and fro, trying to locate a flash of red. The keys suddenly flew off her finger. "Oh shit…!" She ran after the stray pieces of metal. Sighing, she bent over and picked up the keys. It was probably best not to play with something that wasn't hers.

Upon lifting her torso, she realized she was in front of a jewelry store. Scarlett blinked. A red gem seemed to wink back at her. It seemed to be a simple silver chain and pendant. Yet, the jewel nearly glowed. It was mesmerizing. "Cool…" she murmured. The teen walked into the store to take a closer look. She leaned her head forward, forgetting to not touch the glass.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice whispered in her ear. Of course, she jumped. Annoyed, she turned around, only to look up. The person was a tall son of a gun. His hair was long and black. His azure eyes bore into hers from under his strange hat. To answer his question, Scarlett hesitantly nodded her head. She wasn't used to people coming up to her to make conversation. Most thought she was only a tourist who didn't know the language at all. Blue eyes never left the strange man, causing his brow to rise. "What?" he asked.

"_Ah_… Nothing… You look familiar, that's all." She turned her eyes back to the chain. "Are you from around here?"

"No, actually, I'm-"

"Actually, I don't care. I only asked to be friendly. It's not like we'll meet each other again."

"Damn brat…" the man muttered. "Don't ask a question if you're not expecting an answer!"

"Sorry, this necklace is just amazing." Her eyes did not venture.

"I'm planning on stealing it, ya know," the man smirked.

"That's nice—what?" Scarlett cut her eyes to him. "You can't steal it!"

"Oh…? And why not?"

"Because… Because… I'm buying it!" she announced.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am…!" Scarlett declared. She ran over to an employee and dragged him back over to the display. She pointed to the chain. "I want this and I want it now!"

"Of course, ma'am," was the response. "Cash or credit?"

"Credit," she said, handing over the card. Kurama wouldn't be too mad, would he? Scarlett glanced at the man, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. His expression was priceless. The teen immediately put the chain around her neck and walked out of the store. But not before blowing a raspberry at the man. She hoped that the man would see the error of his ways and not intend to steal anything anymore. "I should probably ease him into, so he won't blow a gasket," Scarlett slipped the chain under her—or rather, Kurama's—shirt. She walked up the stairs. Lucky her, the food court was just a few yards away. There, sitting at one of the tables, was her red headed host.

He spotted her, so she increased her speed. Within seconds, she was in front of him. "Did you get everything you needed?" he asked. Scarlett nodded. "Good. Sit." This was… weird. Still, the teen sat across from him as told. "We need to have a discussion about your… lifestyle."

"My lifestyle…?" Scarlett blinked. "Oh right… You're like super smart, or something. I guess it wouldn't take you that long to figure how what I do behind closed doors." Kurama coughed and cleared his throat.

"Yes, well…" he cleared his throat again. "Your behavior is not acceptable… especially when I am there as well. If you must do that, please do not do it in the house." Scarlett pouted.

"Well, where else am I supposed to do it? I can't do it outside, ya know. I'm sure you've got neighbors, and that would be too embarrassing."

"It is embarrassing either way!"

"Jeez… Don't bite my head off, Kurama!"

"Also, you must never call me by that name whilst in public."

"Sorry, Shuichi-_san_, it's a habit," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Fine, I won't do it in the house. I suppose I could just find an empty park or something."

"…?" Kurama donned a confused expression. "Park?" he repeated. "You're planning on doing it in a park? That's indecent!"

"It's not like I'd do it in front of everyone—calm down! You haven't seen me do it yet, so why are you getting so worked up?"

"Hearing it is enough," Kurama flushed.

"Wait, you can tell the exercise movements of someone just based on their breathing?" Scarlett asked. "Ooh, so the repetitive movements I do are annoying, so that's why you don't want me in the house. I see. I see. Sorry, I'll try to control myself."

"Ex-Exercise? _That's_ what you were doing this morning?"

"What else could I have been doing that caused me to breathe that way?" Scarlett narrowed her eyes. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, not noticing the look of embarrassment that crossed her host's face. "Wrestling requires two people, so you couldn't have come to that." Kurama lowered his head, hiding his eyes from the girl. "Hey, what's wrong now?"

"_Ah_, nothing… I… changed my mind. You can exercise in your room if you want."

"Huh…? But you just said-"

"I think it would be in both our interests to just forget about this conversation."

Scarlett shrugged. Obviously the guy didn't want to talk anymore. _"What's his deal?"_ she thought. A real glare appeared on her face. He didn't seem to notice for his gaze was still in his lap. Scoffing, Scarlett sharply turned her head again. She crossed her arms. If he was going to act like this, then she would just ignore him. _She_ didn't have to take his paranoia. And she wouldn't. After this, perhaps she should just stay in her room for the rest of the time. _"People think he's Prince Charming? Either this is a messed up version of canon, or this is what the cameras don't want you to see."_ Either way, it was highly unattractive.

0-0

This has been revised!


	5. Chapter 5

_"Where is that guy?!" _Scarlett thought, biting her nails. Her gaze was outside the window, trying to spot her host. _"He took off before I woke up and now I don't know what to do!" _She had been pacing in front of the window for the past hour. She sighed heavily. Who knew how long he would be gone if it was a mission. Crossing her arms, she sat down on the couch. Her knee shook for several moments. However, she then hopped up. She was completely and utterly bored. Well, not that she wasn't bored whenever Kurama _was_ here. Mostly, only light conversation happened between them. Kurama was still in school, so he mostly came home and did his homework. That is, if he returned home at a proper time. He did have things to do as the school's top-ranked student, after all. However, today was a weekend. He should have been home by now. The reason she was even waiting for him was because _he_ had all the money. _She_ wanted a music source. It wasn't like she could buy something herself. As she did not exist in this world, she could _not_ get a job.

It ticked her off, not being independent. She basically could do nothing but sit around. Sure, Yusuke and Kuwabara occasionally came over to play video games and raid the fridge, but only occasionally. Scarlett sighed again. This was so boring. She would rather watch flowers bloom than this. _"Well, I guess I could walk around the neighborhood or visit that bar…" _she thought with a sigh. She headed toward the door and opened it. The first thing she saw was red—red hair to be precise.

"Shuichi-kun…?!" To say that she was alarmed by his appearance was an understatement. Bruises were everywhere on the skin that she could see. Band-Aids were on his face. "My god…! What happened to your _face_?!"

"So-Sorry," Kurama said, voice below a whisper. He fell forward, causing Scarlett's eyes to widen. Her hands shot out, catching him before he hit the floor.

"Son of a bitch!" she cried out, feeling his full weight. The guy was unconscious! Her legs trembled as she dragged him into the house. "What the hell is this? Who comes home like this?! You idiot!" She laid him down on the floor. Turning him over, she lightly smacked his cheeks. He groaned lightly, and then his eyes opened. Scarlett's jaw dropped. His eyes were gold! _"Son of a bitch…!"_ she repeated in her head.

Her forearm was grabbed before she had time to back away. "Don't worry, Scar, I am not going to hurt you," he murmured. Yoko, she knew it was him. How could this be? He took possession of Kurama's body in the Dark Tournament, but could he do so afterwards. Probably not to the full extent of his first appearance. So it was possible that it was all mental. "Spirit World… didn't necessarily do a good job with my injuries. Please help."

"_Uh_… Of course… Yoko-sama…" Scarlett replied. Of course, his eyes narrowed.

"So you've heard of me then?" he asked. "Yes, of course. Because you know of this team, then you know of me as well."

"Your eyes are a giveaway," she said. "Now, please remove your hand, so I can get the first-aid kit from the shelf." For a moment, they only stared at one another. Then he released her arm. Scarlett stood up and walked towards the bookshelf. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach the kit.

"Are you scared of my reputation?" Yoko called to her. Scarlett halted her movements for just a second. She then turned to him.

"I'm not scared of anything," Scarlett declared. It was a lie. He smirked. Could he tell she was lying? She walked over to him. "Where does it hurt?" She quickly opened the kit.

"If you're not scared, then why are you trembling?" Yoko asked, removing the shirt. There was a red gash going down his side. Scarlett scoffed a bit. It looked as though it had already been cleaned. He probably didn't even need medical attention. But it wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

"I'm just surprised!" Scarlett said, frowning. "I was not expecting you, that's all." Yoko said nothing more, so she continued. "I mean, in my world, people assume that Kurama has a high control over you. You are rarely seen, so to realize that you can take over his body is shocking to me." Silence overcame the two as Scarlett readied the items to treat the wound.

"Koenma sent us on a mission," Yoko finally stated.

"Go figure," was the sarcastic response.

"Do you not like me?"

"Shouldn't I be asking that question?" Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment. Yoko made a sound of inquiry. "Shuichi-kun's the one that doesn't like me, so why should I bother trying to like you? He distances himself, so I find it extremely hard to call him a friend. I don't even call him Kurama anymore…" Yoko's eyebrow twitched, yet Scarlett did not notice. She was too busy rubbing ointment over the injury, which would most likely heal by tomorrow.

"You… misunderstand," he murmured. Scarlett scoffed again. "He does care for you a great deal. "He rushed home, thinking you might worry, so he did not think of this injury whatsoever." The girl's eye twitched a bit.

"Well, isn't he a gentleman!"

"You don't believe me?"

"I don't know. He's either very sweet or very dumb." Subconsciously, her fingers continued to slide up and down his skin. "I just don't know him… like I thought I did. He's different than what I'm used to, so I don't know how to act in front of him."

"I assure you that it is the same for him—for us," Yoko gripped her hand. Her blue eyes connected with his gold ones. Kurama looked totally different with golden eyes. "Now, I believe you've had enough of touching me." He smirked again when she blanched. Scarlett swiftly took back her hand, and then fumbled with the bandages. She had forgotten how handsome her host was. She needed to watch herself around him, especially Yoko. The fanfiction she used to read that centered around him usually classified him as a pervert. However, the things she had read were apparently not all true. Her guard would need to be kept up when it was Yoko in control. Slowly, she wrapped the bandages around his torso, making sure to cover the entire gash on his side. "You know… You're cuter when you blush," he said.

Scarlett blinked in surprise. Her hands found their way up to her cheeks. _"I'm blushing?"_ She'd admit that she was a bit embarrassed. After all, she hadn't been in contact with a half naked man for long periods of time.

"Could it be that… you like what you see?" Yoko asked. "I'm proud to say that my former body was much better."

"_Ah_, damn," Scarlett met his eyes again. "So you are the womanizer one, huh?"

"Pretty much," Yoko answered, nonchalantly. He suddenly moved, using a demon's speed and pinned her down on the floor.

"Oh son of a-" She yelped feeling his lips against her neck. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"You needn't be frightened," he replied. He lifted himself to stare down into her eyes. She was glaring.

"This is sexual harassment!"

"Not if you want it~!"

Again, her eye twitched.

_Release her this instant!_

"_No, I don't think I will. Don't worry, she'll enjoy it."_

"Yoko… Let me go, now." Scarlett said once she found her voice again.

"What if I don't want to? You seem to enjoy kissing strangers, so why not me?" Yoko asked, and then planted tiny kisses down her neck. Scarlett sighed heavily, trying to ignore the flips her stomach was doing.

"That was just—_ah_…!" He had suddenly nipped at her jaw line. "That was just to see if you were gay, nothing else! Once I got my confirmation, I didn't—_aaahh_, stop it!" Yoko merely chuckled. His lips hovered over hers.

"A likely story," he said.

_"Damn it, he's not going to believe a word I say!"_ Scarlett thought. _"I mean sure lots and lots of fangirls would kill to be in my place but... I don't want him on top of me!" S_carlett struggled a bit to stop his advances. "Would you believe that I'm not that type of girl?" she asked.

"Not in this lifetime," Yoko answered. Scarlett rolled over so that now she was on top of him. His golden eyes expanded in surprised. Their positions had been switched in an instance. She had even pinned his wrists above his head.

"Good, because you're right," Scarlett replied with a smirk. She licked her lips.

_She's…?!_

"What?" Yoko said, ignoring his other half. "Are you serious?" Scarlett leaned towards his right ear and breathed out. This caused his ear to twitch.

"Of course not! Idiot!" She shouted, causing his eardrum to ring. The sudden outburst from the girl disoriented Yoko. Scarlett used this to jump off and run away. She grabbed a jacket, and then headed out the door. "Be back later, pervert!" The front door slammed shut behind her.

"She... tricked me," Yoko mumbled.

_Serves you right. __Just leave her alone!_

"_You should know me well enough to realize that I can't do that now."_

_0-0_

_"Maybe I shouldn't have left like that?" _Scarlett thought as she slowed her walk. She sighed heavily. _"Especially since I never asked Kurama about a music device!" _She rubbed her temple as she walked into a small bar. She had seen an advertisement about this place last week, which is why she began to get annoyed about not being able to listen to music in the first place. This place was doing an open mike night type of thing. Scarlett pulled a piece of paper from her jacket pocket and walked over to the bartender. She held up the paper, giving the information. "The karaoke thing is taking place right now, right?"

"Yeah sure, but there's not much of a crowd," the scuffy looking bartender said. "Are you sure you want to go up there?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You don't know how long I've waited to relieve this stress of mine," Scarlett answered. It had been quite a while. She used to go singing with her classmates every week. About twice every week actually. It turned into a habit, and she had actually went through withdrawal. Not really, but it shows that it's a serious matter to Scarlett. It reminded her of home. "So do I just go up there or is someone going to announce me?"

"I'll do it," he said. He then went around the bar towards the stage. "What's your name?" he asked, glancing back.

"Oh, my name is Scarlett," she answered.

The foreign teen shifted her eyes to examine the bar. Just as the bartender said, there weren't many people here. She supposed that was normal. It wasn't necessary night. Most were probably still at work. Scarlett then noticed a lone figure sitting at the bar. "_He looks vaguely familiar,"_ she thought. She then shrugged it off. _"Maybe he's just an extra that I saw in one of the shows."_

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Scarlett-san!" the bartender said, drawing the attention of the customers. Scarlett walked to the stage. Some stared in curiosity, others ignored her. That was fine. She wasn't doing this for this. She was doing this for herself.

"Hello!" she grinned at the few who were paying attention. "I'll be singing for you! Since you're drunk, it won't matter what I sound like, right?" She took a deep breath and began.

_Within a broken mirror…_

_I clearly see your reflection_

_Tears roll down your face…_

_Tears roll down your face_

_As your fingers traces the edge of the new moon_

As she continued to sing out her stress, the people began to converge toward the stage. Her voice was soft and full of her feelings. Scarlett narrowed her eyes as she thought back to her interactions with Kurama. It had already been a month, and her host had shown no sign of getting to know her. She thought back to what Yoko had said. He _cared_ for her, did he? Well, he certainly had a roundabout way of showing it. Scarlett no longer noticed the crowd as she was too deep in her mind. Now that she got out this stress, she could return to her normal self. Oh, she couldn't wait until returned to her temporary residence. Kurama was in for another shock. Scarlett could help the smirk that crossed her face as she continued to sing.

One person wasn't looking at her, but was listening none the less. _"That girl… She's the one who has what's mine…Who would have thought we meet again so soon?" _He glanced back. _"I will get it back!"_ Her voice lowered as the song came to a close. She bowed a bit as she received her polite clapping. A faint blush appeared on her face. She grinned widely. No one else seemed to want to sing, so one more before she decided leave.

_Now I will tell you what I've done for you…_

_Fifty thousand tears I've cried_

_Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you…_

_And you… still won't hear me…_

_GOING UNDER!_

She liked her singing in a rocker's voice. It sounded much better. And she could be as loud as she wanted to. Of course, it wasn't perfect. Her voice cracked several times. Still, it wasn't about how she sounded. It was about releasing the tension that had been accumulated over the course of one month. _"You just wait, Shuichi-kun."_ She reared her head back, dishing out her voice as loud as she could. She felt sweat slide down her skin. Oh, she had missed this feeling. She had to rock out more often. Scarlett lowered her head, eyes on the stage floor.

_I~~! Dying again_

She lifted her head, shouting out the last lyric.

_I'm GOING UNDER!_

Scarlett ended her performance in a low bow. The audience ate this up and clapped lively. The applause was significantly better than the last time. She lifted her torso with a smile. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Thank you…!" Feeling euphoric, she even blew kisses. Giggling, she placed the microphone on the ground, and then hopped off the stage. That was too fun. She went over to the bar. The bartender gave her a wink. Creepy, but Scarlett didn't lose her grin.

"For a brat, you're pretty entertaining," a voice made her turn. It was the extra she had seen before. His eyes turned away from his drink. Scarlett found her eyes widening. She recognized those indigo eyes. "Do you remember me?"

"I… think so," she answered. She raised her eyebrows. "You're that person who said he was going to steal my necklace!" She pointed a finger.

"Hey! It's my necklace!" A pause. "And it's not a necklace! It's clearly a pendant!"

"_Ah_… my bad." Through her shirt, she fingered said pendant. "I'm not giving it to you."

"You don't have to because I'm still going to steal it."

"You're pretty bold, aren't you, Extra-san?"

"Extra-san…?" His eye twitched. "Who do you think you are?!"

"My name is Scarlett Tate. Apparently, I'm a hot-blooded American woman!" was her cheeky reply. The man sighed and turned back to his drink. "Well, bye. Perhaps, I'll see you again."

"Oh, you will be seeing me again—trust me when I say that!" The man practically cackled like a witch. Scarlett looked a bit confused by his impression of a bad guy.

"I just… said it, though." Immediately, the man stopped his laughter. He turned to glare at her. However, Scarlett only waved goodbye and was out the door. _"Strange guy… I wonder why he wants this so bad. Maybe I should stay in the house for awhile?"_


	6. Chapter 6

Scarlett was currently sleeping on the couch. It was one of those days where boredom struck, leaving her with nothing to do but sleep. She was in the middle of a Sesshomaru induced dream when the loud banding came. With a start, Scarlett sat up and fell off the couch. Grumbling, she sat up again. The obnoxiously loud banging came again. The girl stood up and angrily walked towards the door. She swung the door open. "What the hell?!" she screamed. The visitor merely dung a pinky in his ear and closed one of his eyes.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he replied, and then waltzed right on in. Stifling her rage, Scarlett turned a sweet smile to the other visitor. He gave a smile wave before stepping in. He carried several bags with him—probably full of snacks. Scarlett figured Yusuke convinced Kuwabara to skip school, and that's why they're here. She shut the door and walked after the tall teen. Yusuke had already set up the game console to the television. "So when's Kurama getting back?" he asked as Kuwabara sat the bags of snack down in between himself and his rival. Immediately, the controllers were picked up. Sighing, Scarlett sat down on the adjacent comfortable chair.

"Yusuke, he'll be back in a few hours. Just because you left school early doesn't mean he does, too."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Keiko," he waved off her comment. For his remark, he received Scarlett's middle finger.

"I've got winner!" she exclaimed once the game started.

When it was _finally_—almost two hours—her turn, there was much protesting from Kuwabara! "_Whatever_, Urameshi! You totally cheated! You can't just scream out at random times when I'm trying to concentrate!" Yusuke only laughed.

"Aw, come on, Kuwabara! Don't be such a sore loser!" he said. The teen then turned serious. "You know you can never beat me." Yusuke laughter burst through his serious façade.

"URAMESHI!"

"Now, now, Kuwabara-kun, don't listen to him," Scarlett gave him a pat on the back. "How about you go raid the fridge while I kick Yusuke's ass like last time?"

"That was one time!"

Ignoring him, Scarlett directed Kuwabara to the kitchen. Once he was gone, she turned to Yusuke. "So do you have his present?" The boy gave an affirmative sign. "Great, I can't wait until his surprise party!" She sat down beside the Spirit Detective. "I get to meet up with everyone else. I've been itching for this for forever!"

"The big lug probably doesn't even realize his birthday's tomorrow," Yusuke chuckled. The game began. The two fighters on the screen jumped apart. He had chosen a burly fighter with a white karate gi and a huge sword. Scarlett had chosen a smaller fighter with two bladed fans. Immediately, the two charged for each other. "So, what'd _you_ get him?" He twisted and turned the controller in his hands. Scarlett did the same.

"A little something, something," she said. "Oh, come on!" Her fighter had been pummeled by the opponent's rapid strikes. Once her fighter stood, she put distance between them. "Kuwabara-kun's going to love it—that's for sure." The fans were thrown, dealing a great deal of damage to Yusuke's fighter. "So are we meeting at the train station or does Shuichi-kun have some elaborate plan to smuggle us to Genkai's while he's distracting Kuwabara-kun?"

"Uh, we're just meeting at the train station. Kuwabara thinks everyone's gathering because we're helping Genkai clean her temple." The younger teen laughed. "As if I'd do that…" After his comment, the two focused solely on the game. So far, Scarlett had won a total of seven, while Yusuke had overwhelmed her with twelve. "_Um _hey, why do you call Kurama by his human name, anyway?"

"Habit." Scarlett didn't look away from the screen.

"… Okay, well, why did you start the habit?" Yusuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"He told me to," Scarlett responded with a shrug.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you can refer to him by his real name when you not around normal people."

"Are you saying I'm not normal?" This time, it was her brow that twitched. Scarlett suddenly paused the game. "Why are you telling me this, anyway?" Yusuke turned his brown eyes to her. He looked very serious. "What?"

"Kurama is… acting differently. It all started a week ago. I finally got him talking, and _you_ came up," he stated. Scarlett narrowed her eyes as if asking 'so what?' "Apparently, you've been acting like you hate the guy."

"That's ridiculous, Yusuke!"

"Is it?" Kuwabara had suddenly come back. His arms were crossed. He gave Scarlett a stern look. He really had raided the fridge again. The mustard on the corner of his lip was a big indication. There was food stains on his blazer as well that hadn't been there before. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm a pretty empathetic guy, so I sometimes feel what he feels. As far as I can tell, you're being pretty mean to a person who took you in."

"Yeah, like taking his laundry out of the dryer before it's done. Or tripping him whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"Well, sorry I'm a teenager, Yusuke!" Scarlett grumbled. "Besides, he's the one that acted all paranoid! I just chose to give him what he expects."

"Still, the things you do aren't very nice," Kuwabara commented.

"What is this—an intervention?" Scarlett stood up. "I've done nothing wrong! It's him who doesn't like me!" Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged a look, and then returned their gaze back to her. "What?!"

"Of course he likes you!" Yusuke said. "Kurama doesn't generally go around hating others unless they threaten his family or friends. And since you've done neither, that means he likes you."

"Your logic is superb, Yusuke," Scarlett retorted in a sarcastic way.

"Why, thank you!" he replied with the same tone.

"Seriously, though, Scarlett, maybe you should make nice with Kurama," Kuwabara's voice intercepted the heated rejoin the girl was about to fling at the spirit detective. She turned to him with a frown. "We're all friends, so we should get along, right?" The girl merely scoffed. She sat down on the couch with a huff.

"I don't want to play anymore. You guys can have all the fun."

"Scar…" Yusuke's tone was warning.

"I'll rethink about it, okay? _Jeez_, now who sounds like Keiko?"

A vein bulged under Yusuke's skin.

0-0

It was 3:00 in the afternoon when Kurama and Scarlett arrived at the train station. However, the other two had yet to appear. This was to be expected, though. It was Yusuke and Kuwabara, after all. They weren't known for their tardiness, but they weren't known for their promptness either. Scarlett crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Kurama had already bought the four tickets. He was sitting on a bench, reading. This wasn't the first time, this situation arose. If they were in the same room together for long periods of time, he would take out a book. Scarlett inaudibly sighed. She supposed it was his way of escaping conversation. Recalling Yusuke's previous words caused the girl to scoff.

This drew the attention of the red head in question. He glanced from the words of his book for just a moment. Scarlett didn't seem to notice… Or perhaps she didn't care for his gaze? Kurama found himself frowning. Living with such a person was becoming rather difficult. As of late, she had harassed him relentlessly. It was as if she was retaliating against him. Maybe Yoko had something to do with it? That is when the harassment started—right after his appearance. Before, she had outright ignored him unless she wanted him to buy something for her. For example, she was polite before asking for a radio. Then she went back to ignoring him. Her behavior towards him was rather troublesome. _"Then again, I can't say I've been perfect myself."_

Kurama turned a page in his book. However, he did not focus on the words on the page. He had to admit that he had been distancing himself. According to her own words, Scarlett believed that he disliked her. That wasn't necessarily true. He just… didn't know how to approach her. That first impression had burned in his mind, and so he assumed something about Scarlett before he knew anything else about her. It had been a terrible mistake on his part. Quite embarrassing, actually. Green eyes looked up again. Scarlett's head was lowered, giving the appearance of sleep. However, he knew that it took a long period before she could fall asleep. Kurama cleared his throat to catch her attention. "Scarlett," he said.

"What?" She had not lifted her head.

"I think we need to… discus something."

"Why? I mean, the last discussion turned out so well." The sarcasm in her voice caused Kurama to grimace. She finally looked his way, blue eyes apathetic. "Oh, right… I'm supposed to forget that conversation took place, aren't I?"

"I've… I've been unfair to you. I want to apologize."

Scarlett pushed herself from the wall. She walked over to him, yet she did not sit. Arms still crossed, she leaned forward at an angle. Her eyes were leveled with his. "_Ah_, so after a month, you want to apologize?" She clicked her tongue. "Why the sudden change of heart, Shuichi-kun?" That name—she was using it bitterly. When he asked her to use that name with him, he meant in public. However, she had taken his request to the extreme. There had been no one around, so in this situation it would be fine for her to call him by his demon name. Scarlett did not dare to—or perhaps refused to—refer to him by Kurama. The human girl straightened her body. "Well, perhaps you want to explain to me why you're apologizing?"

"For starters, I believed you to be a… loose woman, and so I made assumptions. It was rude of me," he answered truthfully. Scarlett raised a brow. "In addition to this, I did not trust you. I must have come off as cold and indifferent." Kurama lowered his head. "For that, I am sorry." Minutes ticked by. Still, he did not lift his head. Finally, Scarlett breathed in.

"I guess… it's reasonable to assume that I was a slut. I did kiss you, after all. Those darn first impressions," she murmured. Kurama met her steady gaze. "But did I give you a reason to not trust me?"

"No… I don't believe you did," he answered. "However, you are a person—a stranger—that seems to know everything about me. I was wary of you."

"I see." Scarlett dropped her arms to her sides. She moved to sit beside him. Kurama stared at her, wondering what she would say next. "I guess it didn't help that I've been a resentful woman towards you." He chose to not respond. "So you acted that way because you don't know me. I got it. It's a case of miscommunication that has caused our living arrangement to be uncomfortable." She turned her eyes to him. "So let's destroy this barrier between us then." For a long moment, they simply locked their eyes. She was completely serious. It was exhausting trying to make him tick, anyway. "What do you say?"

"I say that's a good plan," Kurama nodded in agreement. Scarlett smiled. It was the first time he had seen a genuine smile from her. It was infectious. "Please tell me something about yourself. Perhaps you can tell me your favorite book? You did mention that one of your hobbies was reading."

"_Hm_… The _Artemis Fowl_ series was my favorite of all time. You won't believe how hard it is to come across translated versions," Scarlett answered.

"Forgive me, but I don't believe I know of such a series," Kurama stated. His companion shrugged. "You are from another world entirely, so I suppose asking what is your favorite book is a silly question." Scarlett rubbed at her nose. "What about your favorite color?" He received raised eyebrows in response. "Sorry, I don't do this often." Kurama chuckled a bit.

"It's fine. My favorite color's lilac," Scarlett replied. "As for another hobby—I guess you can say singing."

"Singing?"

"Yes, I'm not very good. But singing for me is like a release," she explained. "I seriously get high when I'm able to sing. It's like a drug."

"You have a passion for it, but you are untalented."

"Hey…!" A half hearted punch was given. "I'm passionate about something else, though. Unlike singing, I am actually good at it."

"Are you sure that's not the narcissist in you speaking?" Kurama teased. Scarlett held up a fist. "A joke, a joke."

"Trust me, dude. Everything I write is golden."

"Sounds very vain of you to admit."

"Thank you."

The two became silent. However, the silence wasn't completely uncomfortable as it had been in the past. Scarlett stared at the red head out of the corner of her eye. Sneaky fox, she thought. Although he hadn't said so, she realized that he did not want to become attached to her. She turned her head and smiled. _"Well, tough," _she thought. _"Once you pull me in, there's no escape."_ The teen leaned back a bit. "What are you reading, anyway?"

The two spent the next few minutes discussing books of their respective worlds. Laughing about how a story involving a young teen girl choosing between necrophilia and bestiality was not real literature was how Yusuke and Kuwabara found them. Cheeky grins appeared on their faces before approaching the two. "I see you two made up," Kuwabara remarked.

"Yup, now the two lovebirds will be kissing in public again before you know it!" Yusuke agreed. Flushing, Scarlett brought up her leg, nailing her friend in the chin. "OUCH…! Scar, what the hell was that for!?"

"Now, now, Yusuke," she said with a sweet smile. The older teen stood. "We shouldn't bring up embarrassing memories." Her smile turned sour. "Now, get on the goddamn train."

0-0

X amount of minutes into the train ride, Scarlett woke up with a sharp gasp. Her eyes darted around. She sighed heavily, realizing she was still on the train. She placed a hand on her head. That was some strange dream. The teen looked out of the window. A vast forest zoomed pass. She blinked twice as she remembered. It had seemed so real. The pain, the blood, the bamboo—it was all so real. Even now, her body was shaking. The others were sleeping. Yusuke and Kuwabara were leaning against one another, snoring loud. Kurama was leaned away from her, elbow and closed hand propping his head up with the help of the seat's arm. Gosh, he even _slept_ beautifully. Lucky, she thought. Scarlett lowered her eyelids as she continued to stare at him.

This man had been in her dream. Well, it wasn't him. It was his alter self—Yoko. It was as if she was someone else, running after him. There were angry shouts coming from behind. She assumed that they were being pursued. However, something had dropped, causing her to turn. She had almost reached it, but something had stabbed into her leg. In the next moment, other bamboo blades had pierced her skin. Instead of screaming pain, she had shouted for Yoko to save himself. The pain had been so unbearable that she had woken up. It was all very disturbing. Not to mention unfamiliar to her.

She was sure she watched the Dark Tournament several times. It was the first time his past was explored. Well, perhaps not, but it was the first time the legend was really brought to her attention. There was nothing in the show to suggest that he had a… partner? There weren't two legendary thieves, right? Well, there had been another season after the Dark Tournament. However, she had not gotten a chance to watch it. Actually, she was sure Momo had told her that there were two seasons after the Dark Tournament. It was plausible that Yoko's background appeared in either of those seasons that she didn't see.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?"

Scarlett flinched at his voice, and then grimaced. "_Ah_, sorry… I was thinking," she murmured. The red head opened his eyes. He sat up straight and turned to her. "Just to let you know, there _are_ things that I _don't_ know about you, Shuichi-kun."

"But the information you know of me still pales in comparison to what I know of you," Kurama stated.

"I'll tell you anything you wish to know about me for… advice."

"Advice…? Is there something troubling you?"

"You could say that. Now, ask away."

"Alright, may I ask how you learned this language so well?"

"Well, in middle school, I was introduced to manga." Kurama raised an amused brow. "No, no, hear me out! Soon after, I began an infatuation with the Japanese culture. I begged my mother to get me Japanese lessons. By the time I reached high school, I knew the basics—level one, according to my lessons. My school offered a foreign exchange program, so I immediately signed up for it. So for my junior and senior year, I was in a Japanese school."

"So I suppose being around students gave you the tools to finish your lessons?" Kurama asked. He received a nod in response. "You said your junior and senior years, so did you graduate?" Again, Scarlett nodded. "How old are you?"

"Now, Shuichi-kun, you shouldn't ask a woman her age," she teased.

"Forgive me—where are my manners?" Kurama played along. "I assume that you are 17, 18 perhaps?"

"Yeah, I'm 18," Scarlett replied. "Technically, I'm older than you, but in reality, you're older than anyone of us, aren't you? Tell me, what's it like being on a whole different level than most?"

"It gets hard to deal with sometimes," he leaned again and closed his eyes. "However, I wouldn't call it bad." He opened his eyes again. "What about you? Your mindset seems older than your age." Scarlett shifted her gaze out of the window.

"My dad died in a car crash when I was 10. My mom cried a lot after that. I took it upon myself to protect her since my dad couldn't anymore. I did mostly everything. I did everything to ensure my mom would smile again." She shut her eyes for a moment. "I became independent at a young age so that I could take care of her. It was pretty naïve of me to think that way and yet…" A sudden giggled erupted from her lips. She turned her gaze back to the confused red head. "I just love my mom too much." Kurama's expression softened.

"I know the feeling," he gave a small smile. For a moment, they only shared their smiles. Then Kurama cleared his throat. "Now then, your problem that is troubling you—I'd be glad to help out in any way I can."

"I don't think it's really a problem, per se," Scarlett muttered. "I just woke up from a dream. Yoko appeared in it." She began to explain the dream. Once she was finished, she returned her eyes to him. Kurama was clearly shocked. "I've never seen anything like this in my world, so could you maybe give me a clue?"

"That's… That is how my best friend met his end," Kurama replied. "You dreamt being him." Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "In my past life, before I became infamous, I had a partner in crime. His name was Ku… Kuronue." Blue eyes expanded.

Kuronue. She had recognized the name. She had come across it many times in her search for a good YYH fanfic. Scarlett hadn't known who he was, but he was often paired with an original character or Yoko and or Shuichi. However, he neither appeared in the show or the manga. There had been movies, though. Perhaps that is where he came from. She had come across many fanarts of the demon, too. Tall, dark, and handsome was a clichéd description, but it was true. If memory served her right, the demon had indigo eyes, a funky looking hat, and large wings protruding from his back. _"Wait…"_ Her eyes looked up in thought.

Indigo… azure…?

Funky looking hat… strange hat…?

Tall, dark, and handsome… tall, dark, and creepy…?

Multiple fanarts and images of 'Extra-san' flashed through her mind. They all looked the same. Extra-san=Kuronue. Kuronue was alive… Alive! "Scarlett, you've become dazed. What are you thinking about?" Kurama snapped the girl from her thoughts. She reached up and subconsciously rubbed the pendent under her shirt. It was no wonder he was after this thing so bad.

"I'm sorry for bringing up those types of memories," Scarlett whispered.

"_Ah_, it's fine." His eyes shifted for only a second. "A few months prior to meeting you, I encountered someone who impersonated him. So it's not as if you caused this to be fresh in my mind." Scarlett's hand returned to her lap. She wanted to say something. However, it would be illogical to try to tell Kurama that his best friend might still be alive; especially since she was not certain if they were the same guy. After all, Extra-san did not have large wings.

"I see," she whispered. _"I need more information… Maybe I'll run into him at that bar again."_ Scarlett sighed heavily, and then yawned. "When are we getting to Genkai's?" Kurama looked at his watch for the time.

"I believe we will arrive in an hour," he answered.

"Good, I'm going back to sleep. My body has to rest before all the 'cleaning' we have to do," Scarlett said. Kurama nodded his head. The girl shut her eyes, attempting to drift off into dreamland. Hopefully, that nightmare wouldn't disturb her slumber again.

0-0


	7. Chapter 7

A whistle came from her mouth as she stared up. Her hand was perched above her brow. Her eyes squinted, trying to see the top of the stone steps. She could not. Scarlett sighed heavily. She had been hoping the infamous stories of these dreaded steps were false. Her eyes shifted to the younger teens. They seemed to be preparing to dash up the steps in a competition. She sighed again as she dropped her arm. This _couldn't_ be fair.

Just as she thought, Yusuke and Kuwabara sprinted up the steps, shouting to each other how idiotic it was to challenge them. _"What's really idiotic is running up the steps in the first place!" _With a groan, she began to ascend. Kurama took the civil approach in climbing as well. "So… how long does this take?" Scarlett asked, glancing at the red head to her right.

"If we continue at this pace, it would take no more than ten minutes," Kurama answered.

"Well, at least it's not an hour," she rationalized. With his keen sense of hearing, her host picked up on her words. He asked her why she thought it would take so long. "_Ah_, the logic of fandom," was her vague response. Kurama raised a brow, yet Scarlett did not elaborate. He decided to move on.

"You say you are an exceptional writer. Tell me, are you published in your world?" he asked.

"Well, yes and no," she answered. At the dubious look she was given, she explained. "I've won writing contests before, but they were short stories. They had wanted to put them in a collection of other authors, but I turned down the offers. If I was to be published, I wanted the entire work to be my own." Kurama sweated at her explanation. It would seem as though his houseguest was a bit narcissistic. "However, I was popular for the fanfiction pieces I created."

"Fanfiction?"

"Yeah. Stories that are based on other fictional pieces written by fans, hence the combined word fanfiction. Remember when I told you there were stories about you? Well, I wrote them, too." At this point, Kurama completely stopped. It took Scarlett a moment to realize he was no longer by her side. She stopped about ten steps ahead of him, and then turned. Blinking, she asked in confusion. "What?"

"You made of stories about my _sexuality_?" His tone was incredulous. The confused expression lingered a bit longer before Scarlett broke out into a fit of giggles. "Sorry, I fail to find this funny."

"No, no… I never wrote anything like that," she stated. "I didn't even write about _you_." Her head looked up at the blue sky. "Who I wrote about was a great demon lord." Her eyes shifted to Kurama's again. "He's from a completely different story than yours. And no, I did not depict him as a homosexual. I had too big of a crush on him to do that." Finally, Kurama caught up with her.

"Crush…? On a fictional character?" he asked. The two continued up as Scarlett replied.

"Well, he was perfect to my eyes. I had wished he was real numerous times, if only to have a conversation with him," she said. "Powerful in both strength and intelligence, he was an ideal man." Scarlett clasped her hands behind her back as she walked. "This admiration of mine started at a young age, so you can't really blame me for finding him appealing."

"I suppose I can't," Kurama spoke after a moment's pause. Scarlett let out a chuckle.

"You think I'm weird, don't you?"

"I've met weirder."

"That… doesn't make me feel better."

"Was it supposed to?"

"_Touché_, Shuichi-kun."

0-0

The two finally reached the top of the stone steps. Yusuke and Kuwabara were found at the top, wheezing for air. For five minutes, the group waited for the two to recover. Scarlett poked both of them with a stick for those five minutes. "That's enough!" Yusuke swatted the offending stick again, and then stood. Kuwabara slowly did the same.

"It's your fault for running all the way up here," Scarlett scoffed.

"I used to run up and down these stupid stairs for that old hag. I should have been able to do it just fine this time!"

"Well, if you abruptly stopped doing this, your body will returned to its normal conditioned properties," Kurama explained. Yusuke gave him a look that said he didn't need that explanation. The red head smiled. "Let's head in then."

He opened gate, prompting his comrades to follow after them. The group of four was greeted by silence. Old, annoyed, brown eyes stared at them. "What an eyesore, grandma," Yusuke muttered. The elderly martial artist did not stand from her seated position. However, she did glare at her pupil. "I hope everything's setup for this."

"Nothing but chatter coming from them all day," Genkai responded. She stood, eyes settling on Scarlett. "You must be the bold American I've heard so much about." The younger female was quick to glare at Yusuke.

"You blabber mouth!" she exclaimed, trying to fight back her blush.

"Back off, it was Botan!"

Scarlett scoffed, and then stepped forward. She bowed to the elderly woman. "Genkai-sama, I both respect and fear you. It is an honor to meet you." The older woman looked slightly surprised, but mostly satisfied.

"It's about time I come across a brat with manners."

"_I'm still a brat…?"_ Scarlett sweated.

"Come along now, there's lots of 'cleaning' to be done."

Kuwabara had to wonder why Yusuke, Scarlett, and Kurama shared a chuckle as they followed the old master. Come to think of it, Yusuke was being oddly secretive about certain things. Kuwabara had spent the night over Yusuke's place. They had stayed up all night playing games and wrestling. When he had asked what was planned after cleaning up Genkai's temple, Yusuke gave a simple answer that didn't answer anything. Irritated, Kuwabara said he would probably skip out on cleaning and go home. However, Yusuke suddenly was in his face, calling him a moron without honor. His eyebrow twitched just thinking about it.

The group came to a stop. Genkai turned to them. "This is where you'll be cleaning. Kuwabara, you first." The carrot top pointed a finger at himself and sputtered out nonsense. However, the old woman got the gist of what he was saying. "Yes, you. Go now."

"But why?" he asked. Instead of answering, Genkai and Kurama moved into position. They slid the doors open. Kuwabara peered inside, only to discover it was dark.

"Isn't it obvious, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked with a smirk. "Someone needs to find the light switch, and I figure since you don't have any more brain cells, then it's not like you're going to lose any by bumping into things."

"Shut it, Urameshi!"

Scarlett giggled lightly as Kuwabara stomped into the room. Yusuke gave a thumb up, causing the girl to shake her head. A lot of grumbles were heard coming from the room. Apparently, the boy was trying very hard to locate the switch. Genkai did some grumbling of her own. "I'm getting too old for this," she said, and then entered the room. The others followed suit. The light switch, which was on the adjacent wall, was found and flipped. The room was instantly illuminated, revealing Kuwabara in the middle of the room, looking quite flustered. He turned, and then nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"Haha, guess I didn't see-"

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

As if cued, people sprang from their hiding places and shouted in unison with the four. A giant grin spread on Botan's face as she moved over to the confused teen. She laughed at his expression as she patted him on the back. "Happy birthday, sweetie!" she said. Kuwabara's eyes went wide as realization dawned on him. Noticing his reaction, his older sister scoffed, and then lit a cigarette.

"I can't believe my baby brother forgot his own birthday," she muttered. The older woman stood besides Botan with a look of indifference. Kuwabara frowned, but then his eyes noticed Yukina at the opposite side of the room. Delighted, he practically twirled over to the ice maiden. Completely ignoring the smiling Keiko, he grasped Yukina's hands and gave her a charming smile. He was too busy speaking with the pretty demon that he failed to notice his sister behind him until it was too late. She delivered a fierce strike to his head, causing the tall teen to plummet to the ground. "I believe I taught you better than to ignore people," Shizuru said. Uncaring of her brother's pain filled groans, she turned to the others. "Let's start this party without the idiot."

It was then that she set her sights to Scarlett, who unintentionally flinched. Kuwabara Shizuru was not the type of woman to mess with. She was as fierce as she was nonchalant. She was both inspiring and intimidating. If the woman had grown up fighting, she would probably be the best—males be damned. Shizuru walked over to her, releasing the smoke from her lungs. "_Uh_, hello… I'm Scarlett Tate, Kuwabara-kun's friend," the foreign teen lowered her head.

"Kazuma's told me about you. How you dropped in from another world," Shizuru replied. She held her cigarette in between her middle and index finger. "You're not planning on taking over this world, are you?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Relax, kid, its humor."

"_Dry humor, maybe,"_ Scarlett thought, producing a sour expression.

"I'm Kuwabara Shizuru, though you probably already know that," the older woman continued. Scarlett nodded her head. "Let's get along, shall we?"

"Yes," she nodded again. Keiko made her way off, followed by Yukina. "Hi," Scarlett greeted.

"It's nice to meet you," the human girl said. "My name is Yukimura Keiko. Thank you for taking care of Yusuke. The idiotic needs as many older mentors as he can get."

"Keiko! I am standing _right_ here!"

"I am Yukina," her red eyes were friendly. Scarlett had to stop herself from hugging the beautiful ice maiden. No wonder Kuwabara had the biggest crush on her. Yukina, unaware of her thoughts, bowed her head. "It's a pleasure."

"Yes, of course. You two are very pretty. If I were a man, I would probably take you-" Scarlett was promptly hit over the head as Keiko blushed a fiery red. The young woman glared in Yusuke's direction. "What was that for?! It was just a joke! You don't need to get jealous."

"That's _some_ friggin' humor you have!" the boy retorted. His cheeks flushed a bit. "And who the hell's jealous?!"

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"

"Who said that?!"

"_You_ did!"

"Now, now, you two," Kurama said, trying to ease the sudden tension. The two were currently in positions similar to sumo wrestlers, baring their teeth at one another. "We came here for Kuwabara. I suggest we begin what we came here to do… even if the guest of honor is still unconscious." Shizuru blew out smoke again.

"My bad," she said.

0-0

Once Kuwabara had awakened, the party began. There was lots of talking, forced dancing, and random games of janken to determine who got the last of a food source. At the moment, the sexes were separated. Botan had dragged Scarlett away from a game of janken for… girl talk. She had been afraid this was going to happen. Mentally sighing, Scarlett wished she could be like Shizuru and sit idly by, not listening for the latest scoop. Apparently, Yusuke had been right. Botan had blabbed about her tonguing Kurama down. Gosh, she shouldn't have done it. If she could take it back she would… probably do it all over again. By gods, he was a good kisser.

Scarlett frowned and shifted her eyes away from the enthusiastic grim reaper. That information was what Botan had been trying to get out of her for the last six minutes. "I don't care, I'm not telling, and that's final." Scarlett had cut Botan's little rant off, causing the blue-haired woman to huff indignantly. The human woman did not care for the reaction, though. "Anyway, enough about that. Where's Hiei? Is he going to show up?" Botan batted the air like a cute kitten.

"Now, don't be silly. Hiei wouldn't show up to a party, let alone one that celebrated another year that Kuwabara lives," she explained. "Besides, we couldn't find him. What do you want with Hiei, anyway? You want to confirm his sexuality as well?" Keiko blushed while Botan appeared quite smug. Yukina smiled pleasantly, unaccustomed to those words. Shizuru chuckled.

"Give it a _rest_, Botan," Scarlett almost hissed. She then crossed her arms. "Hiei and I have an agreement. I'm surprised he hasn't tracked me down himself." At their perplexed looks, she sighed. "We had a deal, and that's all I'm saying. I don't think he would appreciate anyone else knowing." She gave a yawn. "It's been almost four hours, when are we opening presents?" Not that Kuwabara was eavesdropping, but he had picked up on the word presents. With a burst of energy, he actually defeated his rival in their arm wrestling match. Yusuke's arm had banged against the table quite noisily.

"Yeah, presents!" he exclaimed. "Let's see what everyone got me!"

"You son of a-"

"Now, now, Yusuke," Kurama tried to console the younger teen.

Kuwabara gleefully stood as his friends lined up to give presents. From what he could see his gifts came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Each person gave him something, all wishing him a happy birthday. He received boxers from his sister. Botan gave him a metal bat to replace his wooden one, which had been broken when Shizuru whacked him over the head with it. Yusuke gave him a few of his old games. Keiko gave him a diary, which Yusuke heartedly laughed at. Genkai gave him a book on Spiritual Awareness without a word, and then left the room. That old woman would never change. Next up was Kurama. He had given him two CDs of the heavy metal group, Megallica. How the red head knew Kuwabara was such a huge fan was a mystery, but he wasn't going to question it. He was too grateful. Smiling, Scarlett handed him a horribly wrapped gift. He didn't know Scarlett all that well. Sure, he considered her a friend, but she was a mystery just like Kurama and Hiei. Well, at least she would actually play with him unlike the other two. She seemed to genuinely admire him. She had given him three books on swordsmanship. There was even a listening CD, too. She believed that he could be the best if he tried. Best present ever…!

That is what he thought until Yukina stepped forward to give her gift. A neatly wrapped gift was presented to him. It was relatively small. Kuwabara gently took it from the beautiful ice maiden. Unlike his other presents, he merely had to lift the lid. He had noticed the room became enveloped in silence. He even recognized a weird gleam in Botan's eyes, but chose to ignore it. Kuwabara stared into the box. His eyes met a shimmering crystallized gem. Blinking, he picked up the blue rectangular item, which was attached to a red string. He turned questioning eyes to Yukina. "I am truly grateful to you, Kazuma. I know it's not much, but I have manipulated this ice so that it will last until I perish. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude."

"Yukina…!" Kuwabara turned red in the face as he produced a goofy grin. "Of course I will!" He clasped her hands in his. "I will treasure it forever!"

"There you go, Yukina! I told you he would like it! Now put it on him!" Botan's eyes gleamed even more. Scarlett sweated as she watched blue-haired grim reaper. She was little too involved in this. Still, it was pretty cute to see Yukina slipped the red string around Kuwabara's neck. The tall teenager was as blissful as can be. Scarlett found herself smiling. The adoration he showed for the ice maiden caused a bit of jealousy to rile up in her. Not once had she met a man—teenager, whatever—that showed similarities to Kuwabara. It wasn't a wonder as to why she admired the younger teen.

"_Yukina-chan is so lucky!"_ she almost pouted. _"I hope they eventually get together."_ She snickered at the thought of Hiei's reaction to learning of Yukina and Kuwabara's wedding.

"_I heard that you wretched woman."_ Speaking of Hiei, his voice suddenly appeared in her mind. Scarlett froze in shock. _"Oh, and you might want to get out of the way."_

"What? What do you mean?" she exclaimed out loud, causing eyes to turn her way.

Without warning, something came crashing through the sliding doors of the room. This put everyone in high alert. However, whatever it was had been fast. Scarlett's eyes widen, recognizing the person that was flying towards her. _"Extra?!"_ she thought. Azure eyes glared at her as she was pushed to the ground. However, Scarlett acted quickly and used the momentum of the fall to kick her legs up. Her fingers gripped the stranger's dark shirt and tossed his body over. He slammed into the wall and fell, taking party decorations with him. "What the hell?!" she screamed.

"_Ah_, you managed to get out of that one, did you?" Hiei's voice caused Scarlett to turn around mad.

"You did it, didn't you?!"

"You shouldn't make moronic remarks in your head." Hiei indifferently closed his eyes. He ignored the human's growls and focused on the crumbled mass on the floor. "I found this person lurking around." His crimson eyes narrowed. "What I want to know is why you fools didn't sense this demon yourselves." Genkai appeared by his side.

"This room is designed so that Spirit Awareness does not work," she supplied an answer. "What good is a surprise party if the person knows the surprise is coming?"

The stranger was now on his feet. His eyes were focused solely on Scarlett. "I just wanted what's mine!" He pointed a finger at her. "Give it to me _now_ or I'll kill your friends."

"You think you can just come in here demanding orders like that?" Yusuke grinned. "Good, I was in the mood for a fight." During this time, Kurama stood stalk still. This person looked extremely similar to his friend. Not just similar… The resemblance was strikingly uncanny. "You just crashed your _last_ party," Yusuke continued, taking a step forward.

"No, Yusuke!" To everyone's shock, both Scarlett and Kurama shouted in unison. Green eyes flashed to the woman as she stepped forward. He knew why he did it, but why had she protested? "Easy there, Extra-san. There's no need for threats, alright?" Scarlett stopped a few feet away from the demon.

"No need for threats?!" his voice rasped. "Do you know how long it took me to find you?!" The woman grimaced. The stranger sounded sick. Scarlett narrowed her eyes. Now that she got a good look at him, the man was trembling. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Kurama. His green eyes were focused solely on the newcomer. She had heard him call out along with her. That had been the confirmation she was looking for. She had suspicious, especially when Hiei had called him a demon. But Kurama's shocked, and then calculating behavior was the icing on the cake. "You don't know this, but what you took is something I _need_. Give it to me now and I'll leave."

"_He needs it…?"_ Scarlett thought, frowning. "So you were satisfied with just staring at it through the glass, and then being in its presence three times a week. But I've hadn't gone to that bar for quite some time, you came to find me?"

"Give it to me!" he snarled.

"Scar, what the hell is going on? Do you know him?!" Yusuke asked.

"No."

"Don't give me that! You _obviously_ do!"

Scarlett returned her attention back to the demon. He looked about ready to pass out. What the hell was this trinket to him—a drug? Then that dream came back to her. Was this the thing he had tried to reach? "I am sorry, Extra-san. Or should I call you…Kuronue?" The room instantly shifted in a tense atmosphere. The tall demon blinked in surprised. "I figured it out thanks to information. You're Kuronue, aren't you—partner to the King of Thieves, Yoko Kurama." The room became silence again. Scarlett took this chance to pull the front of her shirt and lifted the pendant for all to see. "Is this what you want?"

Kurama recognized it right away. It was the necklace his friend risked his life for. Slowly, his green eyes returned back to the demon. He looked as perplexed as the others. He had told his houseguest of Kuronue. He couldn't figure out why she had dreamt of something like that. Now, he was all clear. Kuronue was connected with the amulet that Scarlett wore, hence why his old friend was going through a withdrawal like state. Even now, at the sight of his pendent, he ignored everything else and walked forward.

"That's as far as you go!" Yusuke moved. Quickly, Kurama stood in front of him. "Damn it, Kurama, he's going after her!"

"No, he's going after the necklace."

"Easy, Kuronue," Scarlett stretched her arm. The red gem twinkled in the light of the setting sun. His slender fingers brushed against the pendent. The demon released fast shuddering breaths. He made a sudden move to grasp the necklace. However, a sword was sudden at throat. He hadn't even gotten the chance to take the trinket. "Hiei, don't…!"

"Shut up, woman. This could be another imitation to make Kurama let down his guard," he didn't even glance back at Scarlett. At the mention of that name, Kuronue's eyes grew wide. "What are you?" Hiei's tone was cold. He pressed the tip of his sword against the taller demon's skin.

"No, this is different," Scarlett tried.

"You know nothing," Hiei hissed.

"Hiei-"

"Kurama, you know this has happened before, so don't fall for it again!"

…

"Wait…" Kuronue pointed a finger. "That's Kurama? Yoko-chan?" A delicate eyebrow twitched.

"What did I say about calling me that?" the red head managed to sound both thrilled and irritated. Again, the room seemed to freeze. And then Kuronue moved. His speed was incredible. His arms wrapped around Kurama's neck. Both fell to the floor before anyone could blink. "K-Kuronue!" He seemed startled at first, but then returned the embrace. Scarlett was embarrassed to realize that tears had welled in her eyes. She wasn't the only female either. Keiko and to an extent, Botan, didn't know what was going, but a couple of stray tears fell. Friends reuniting after so long—it was a beautiful scene to watch.

And then the record scratched.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the fuck is going on?!"

"Yusuke!" Keiko scolded.

"So you like knew Yoko?" Botan asked.

"_Uh_… Yeah…"

"So then what happened to you? Why are you back?" Yusuke asked, still a bit skeptical.

"I'm sorry, but I do not believe I know you, so I will not tell you."

The human woman shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She then made her way over to the two demons. Scarlett crouched down and held the pendent out again. "This is yours, so take it. It's giving me crazy dreams," she said. The blue-eyed teen took the demon's hand and placed the necklace in his palms. "I'm glad things worked itself out." She ignored Yusuke's cries of 'The hell it did!' and stood up straight.

Suddenly conscious of his position, Kurama gently pushed his old friend away. Then he helped him stand. "Kuronue, I am curious to find out what happened to you. I… You definitely died," he murmured.

"What about you? Why do you look so different? Why are you in Human World?"

"And where are your wings?" Many eyes stared at Scarlett. "What?! It's a perfectly reasonable question!"

0-0


	8. Chapter 8

"So wait… You're like living together with this human?" Kuronue asked, glancing back at Scarlett. She seemed deep in thought as she walked behind the two. The party had ultimately ended with the arrival of the peculiar demon. Botan went off to alert Koenma, which would most likely result in being tagged like Kurama and Hiei. The tall demon sighed at the thought. Kurama had told him how he wound up in this… predicament at that temple. However, Kuronue thought it would be best to not blab on how he had ended up in Human world. At least not in front of complete strangers. Hell, it wasn't like he knew the exact details either. The demon leaned closer to his friend. "Did you lay her yet?" It was a perfectly good question to ask. After all, Yoko had always been known for his womanizing ways, second only to being a legendary thief. However, judging from his startled expression and the faint blush, it wasn't the proper question to ask.

Kurama quickly looked back at his houseguest. She didn't seem to overhear the questions at all. Her arms were crossed and her gaze was on the ground. Scarlett was basically ignoring them in favor of thinking. She did that quite often. The red head inaudibly sighed. "No, I did not nor will I in the future," he finally answered. His friend gave him an incredulous look. "Things have changed, Kuronue. _I_ have changed considerably." He closed his eyes for a moment. "As I said, I work for Spirit World. There are many things that I've done in the past that I cannot do." Kuronue chose not to respond. "You have changed as well, old friend."

"Living amongst humans for two decades does that to a demon," he replied.

"Two decades…? You stayed here for so long searching for that, didn't you?" Kurama asked.

"Yes, of course," Kuronue answered. His fingers touched the pendent, which hung from his neck. "It was only recently that I came to Japan in search of it. My plan was to return to Demon world once I found it to thank whoever it was that saved me, and then find you. Who knew you would be so careless and wind up dead?"

"You're one to talk, Kuronue." His green eyes became inquiring after his chuckle. "You were saved from that bamboo trap?"

"Yes. However, I passed out before I could get a good look at whoever it was. But she definitely was a woman," Kuronue rubbed his chin and smirked. "She had a nice body that she did." Kurama almost rolled his eyes. Yoko hadn't been the only one to appreciate the body of a full grown female. The red head told him to continue with his story. The sky was dark. No one in the neighborhood would be out at this time. And Scarlett was not paying attention anyway. Kuronue nodded his head a bit. "I don't know how much time had passed, but I woke up in some kind of healing liquid. As far as I could tell, there was no one around. Once I busted out, I found a note left behind for me. Whoever saved me sold my pendent in order to get enough money to do so. And it somehow ended up in Human world." Kuronue suddenly sighed out. "I didn't anticipate that it would take this long to find it. My savior is probably long gone or dead by now."

"And your wings?"

"Retracted at the moment. Apparently humans like to freak out because of things like that."

"I see."

"So anyway, I guess there's no choice… Looks like we're roommates again!"

"Charming."

"Hey, don't be like that. We used to have fun, didn't we?"

"As I recall, it was quite entertaining… for me. You, on the other hand, would get yourself into many catastrophes."

"That was _one_ time!"

"Try a few hundred, old friend."

"Stop keeping track, damn you."

"Hey, guys!" Scarlett suddenly caught up to them, squeezing in between. "I was thinking. If Kuronue moves in does that mean I have to move out of that room?" Her blue eyes were on Kurama. "I mean, it's not like I mind, but I _did_ just get used to the setup." Her host shook his head and told her that Kuronue would be sleeping with him. Scarlett blinked twice, and then narrowed her eyes. "So when you say old partner, you met-"

"Of course not!"

"Relax, I'm just teasing," Scarlett held up her hands in defense. She turned to Kuronue. "Since we're all living together, I hope we can get along, Extra—I mean, Kuronue-san." The demon gave her a sour look, but then sighed.

"I suppose… You are the one who returned my neck—_pendent_ to me."

"And in a indirect way, I united two best friends, too. You're basically in my debt."

"Let's not go that far, human."

Scarlett only grinned.

0-0

Yawning loudly, Scarlett scratched her rear end as she headed for the kitchen. She rubbed at her eyes with a frown in place. Those two—they were like chattering teenagers… _all night long_! Grumbling, she opened the refrigerator. Hearing about their exploits as thieves had been interesting the first night. However, it had been a whole week now! She wanted nothing more than to kick down Kurama's door and bash the both of them over the head with a hardback dictionary. Still, she hadn't done such a thing. The two hadn't seen each other for what—centuries? Scarlett yawned again and pulled out an orange. Whatever the case, she decided not to intrude on their memories. _"But if they try this shit one more time, I won't hold myself back!"_ she vowed in thought.

She began to peel the orange just as Kuronue walked in. The two stared at one another for a moment. Scarlett raised a brow, and then focused on the task of peeling her breakfast. She heard the new houseguest grunt, but she did not look up again. "You look like shit," he commented. The human girl actually lifted her lip in a snarl. "Where's Kurama?"

"If he wasn't in the room with you, how the heck should I know?" Her voice had come out in a hiss. "It's a school day, so he's probably at school... asshole."

"You're not a morning person, are you? What? Rough night?"

"_Gee_, what gives you that idea?" Scarlett scowled. "And for the record, it's not morning anymore, genius."

Ignoring the sarcastic tone, Kuronue smirked. His hand came down on her head and further messed up her bed head. "What a cute human you are. Annoying as hell, but cute." Scarlett swatted his arm away and glared up at him. He hopped up on the island counter, arms crossed. Huffing, Scarlett then split her orange down the middle. Even though he was right next to her, she tried to ignore him. She would clean up the peelings once she finished. It was so late in the day. In fact, the sun seemed about to set. She was super surprised she had slept in so late. Then again… Scarlett cut her eyes to Kuronue, who still had a smirk on his face. She had been up all night and a few hours in the morning because of him and his best friend. The girl closed her eyes as she put an orange slice in her mouth. Being bitter about the whole thing was a waste. She shouldn't hold a grudge even if they had screwed with her daily schedule. "You know, he told me about his first impression of you."

Scarlett nearly died choking on the orange slice.

Once she got it down, she stood from her seat and sputtered. Coughing to clear her throat, she beat at her chest as well. "Listen you, that was _only_ for confirmation. Don't think I'll do the same to you _or _Yoko!" Kuronue chuckled lightly, and then grinned.

"Sorry, kid, you're not my type." His arm reached and snatched the other half of the orange before Scarlett could even blink. He took a bite as he held the young woman at bay with his other hand. "How'd you know it was Yoko-chan that told me?" Finally, Scarlett stopped her struggle to get back the other half of her food.

"It was obvious. Shuichi-kun wouldn't bring up that sort of memory. I'm pretty sure he would rather forget about it," she bit into another orange slice. "Anyway, since you two were holed up in that room all week, please tell me what Koenma plans to do with you."

"_Haaah_, that baby told me that staying with Kurama, and helping out on missions as support would be best until his father got back from his vacation, or something."

"Looks like we're in the same boat then, _huh_?"

"So it seems," Kuronue murmured. "But then again…"

"What?"

"I don't randomly kiss people, so we're technically not in the same-" Before he could finish his sentence, Scarlett grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him forward. Kuronue smacked against the unyielding force of the tiled kitchen floor. Sniffing lightly, the blue-eyed girl stepped over the demon and headed out of the kitchen.

0-0

It was sometime later in the night that Kurama finally showed up. He looked both tired and anxious. Scarlett only glanced at him for a moment before her eyes returned to the television. "Rough day, Shuichi-kun?" From her relaxed position, she went through the channels with the remote. She stopped on an interesting dance competition. She couldn't place the style, though. Looked sexy enough to be tango. Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed. The music was tango, too. She turned the volume up a bit. Kurama sighed and sat down at the end of the couch. He hunched over, lacing his fingers together; elbows rested on his knees. His stare was straight, but aimless. "Is someone trying to destroy the world again?"

"It would seem that is the case, yes," he replied. "It seems as though we're dealing with humans this time around."

"Human…? _Really_?" Her tone was skeptic.

"I assure you that these humans have supernatural powers. It's not like we can kill them like the demons in the past." His green eyes turned to her. The glow from the television screen caused his houseguest to take on a bluish hue tone. "They are trying to open a hole to Demon world."

"Now why would they want to do a thing like that?"

"You sound indifferent about this… Could it be that you know what will happen?"

"_Nah_, I just have faith in you guys, that's all."

Kurama sweated.

"So I'm guessing you'll be leaving?"

"I will head off to Mushiyori City. Kuronue will come along as well."

"So I'm being left by myself?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And _I'm_ afraid that's not gonna fly." Scarlett finally turned her eyes to him. She sat up. The room was shrouded in darkness. "I want to go."

"I cannot put you at risk, Scarlett. You must understand that this is dangerous for everyone, especially those involved."

"You're no fun, Shuichi-kun." She scooted closer to her host. He, as expected, didn't move. "Do you think I can't handle myself?" One day, Kurama had come home to discover Kuronue tied up and hanging from the roof. Apparently, he had said something to piss off his fellow houseguest.

"I'm sure you can, but only against normal humans."

"But Kuronue-"

"Kuronue's a bit of an idiot. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"In the basement." Kurama narrowed his eyes at the nonchalant tone. "Don't worry; he couldn't fit in the washing machine anyway."

"Why exactly did you try to fit him in the washing machine?"

"He had a dirty mind and mouth. I wanted to clean it for him."

"_Scary…"_ Kurama thought. "Still, I can't have you come with us. I'm sorry to say this, but you will only prove to be a distraction."

"Fine, fine, I won't go with you." She flicked his forehead. "But you _better_ bring me back something!"

"Right, of course."

"And if you don't, I'll have to punish you."

"In what way…?"

"I'll _find_ a way."

"What do you have in mind?"

Scarlett stood up, pulling her host from the couch as she did. "Perhaps I'll force you to dance?" She smirked and twirled the humane demon around. Kurama's eyebrow twitched. The tango was a male dominated dance. And what she just did was put him in the female role. Apparently, Kurama didn't like the implication. He was able to switch roles flawlessly. Scarlett suddenly found herself bent backwards while her right leg was lifted and bent at the knee. Her lower back was supported by his strong, yet gentle hand. Her hand on his shoulders did little for balance on her part. His green eyes seemed smug, looking down at her. "Then again," she murmured, ignoring the thumping against her chest. "You're so graceful. It wouldn't necessarily be punishment for you, will it?"

"I do tend to pick things up quickly," Kurama chuckled. Slowly, he set Scarlett's leg back on the floor. "Do you know this dance?" He led her in a slow rhythmic manner, following the instrumental that came from the television.

"Not really," Scarlett answered, allowing the dance to continue. She was pressed against his body. "I usually only watch. And you?" He suddenly dipped her back, and then brought her up slowly.

"As I said, I tend to pick things up quickly," Kurama whispered. "For someone who only watches, you seem to be doing well." His hands slipped down to her waist and moved her hips. As he did this, Scarlett's arms stretched up. Kurama stepped back and twisted his body, which made Scarlett drop her arms. They wrapped around his shoulders as he lifted her body. Her legs enclosed his torso. The two twirled several times, finally coming to a stop.

"It's merely imitation. Besides," she said. Scarlett slid down his body, landing on the floor. "The male leads the dance." Kurama nodded his head, and then pulled her up by her hands. He guided her arms up and around his neck. He stepped back, dragging her body along. He stopped, pushing her away. The human woman pivoted on the ball of her foot, and then reversed the movement, falling into Kurama's arms again. Her back was pressed against his chest. In resistance to him, she slid down, only to be brought back up.

"Still, you are limber in your movements," his voice caught her ear. Kurama leisurely rocked their bodies from side to side. Their arms were stretched and their fingers intertwined. Scarlett slightly turned her head, meeting his eyes. "You're not trained in regards to dance, and yet…" Their arms moved in and wrapped around her body. A smirk appeared on Scarlett's face. She dropped down, pulling from his grasp. With her leg outstretched, she spun. She would have swept him off his feet if Kurama hadn't jumped and flipped away.

"Observation is a powerful thing if you choose to apply it to yourself, Kurama," she said as she stood. "Before she would allow me to leave the country, my mother demanded that I become a high ranking member of my Martial Arts program. Having started out at a young age, at that time I was already a brown belt. She wanted me to achieve black." The human women sank into a stance. "Because of my determination, I not only gained a black belt, I exceeded expectations and became a fifth degree black belt—black and silver."

"That is… impressive," Kurama complimented. "But I still won't allow you to go."

"_Aww_!" She pouted a bit before letting the smirk resurface. A tiny smile crossed her host's face before he came at her. Testing her, he threw a left punch. Scarlett moved forward with her right foot and pivoted her back foot. She grabbed his outstretched arm as her leg tripped him, throwing him off balance. Both fell to the floor. Scarlett straddled his torso, pinning his arm behind his back. "You underestimate me?"

"Perhaps I did," Kurama let out a chuckle. "A mistake I won't make again." He twisted his body, using his trapped arm as a force to knock her off. Now, he was the one on top. Surprised, Scarlett reflexively went to strike him. He, however, grabbed her wrist and held it upon her head. Before she could do the same with her opposite hand, he grabbed that one, too, keeping at her side. For a moment, the two stared into the other's eyes. "Now what will you do, Scarlett?" She frowned at such a question. He was mocking her.

"What will _you_ do?" she questioned. Kurama blinked once. True, his hands were as preoccupied as hers. His legs were also busy keeping hers down. "Wasn't it you who said 'Only an amateur depends on arms and legs for victory,' Kurama?" Scarlett lifted her upper body. The tip of her tongue slowly glided up his jaw to his cheek. Swiftly, her tongue returned to her mouth. She had gotten the reaction she was looking for. Not only had she said his name, something she hadn't done in a long time, but she also did something unorthodox. His grip on her had loosened, giving her the strength she needed to flip her host over her body. Scarlett turned to see her handy work. Kurama had landed awkwardly—legs on sprawled on the couch, while his upper body was still on the floor. "If all else fails," she told him as she stood. "Shock the hell outta 'em."

Now instead of chuckling and agreeing with her logic, Kurama quietly curled his body forward and landed on his feet. With his back to her, he murmured something she couldn't hear. He then left the room. After a few seconds, his door slammed, causing Scarlett to flinch. After a moment's pause, she rubbed her earlobe. She was more than a little confused. Had licking him been _that_ shocking? Sighing, she moved toward the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television. Her mood for watching a dance competition had just been broken. Shrugging, she left the living room.

She might as well release Kuronue now.

0-0


	9. Chapter 9

Panting heavily, the young adult hunched over, palms covering her knees. Sweat trickled down her face, neck, and arms. She was sure her back was sweaty, too. Scarlett stood up, still breathing heavily. With the back of her hand, she wiped the salty liquid from her forehead. The workout had been much more intense than normal. _"I should listen to this channel more often," _she thought. Slowly, she moved over to the stereo. With a pressing of a button, she shut off the blaring rock music.

She gave herself a moment for her breathing and heart rate to return to normal before stretching both hands to the ceiling. Scarlett yanked on her ear. It probably wasn't such a good idea to listen to rock music at such a great volume. Her eardrums were definitely going to suffer somewhere down the line. Shrugging, she made a grab for her water bottle, which was placed on the desk. It had gotten knocked over a lot by her movements. The plastic thing was pretty beat up despite containing water. Soon, Scarlett would have to switch out.

After sighing, she gulped down the refreshing liquid. She didn't stop until the whole bottle was empty. She bit down on the top, removing her hand from the bottle. Scarlett headed towards the door. This was all a part of the routine she had fallen into. Wake up, eat breakfast, dance for thirty minutes, stretch for ten, do sit ups for fifteen, jog in place for five, eat a couple of oranges, and then go back to sleep. It had gotten pretty boring again. The reason for the uneventful shift—as least for her—was because Kurama and Kuronue had been _gone_. It had been a few days and yet they had not returned.

Scarlett pursed her lips as she opened the refrigerator. It was troubling, but there was something weird going on. That strange departure had been nagging her ever since two days ago, which is when they had left her. It was… awkward. It seemed Kurama had gone back to acting as he had before towards her. "But I didn't do anything wrong," Scarlett murmured. Her hands gripped two oranges. She shut the refrigerator with her foot. "Did I?" She hopped and sat on the island counter. Then she set one of the fruits down. Narrowing her eyes, the young woman began to peel the orange she hadn't set down.

While Kuronue's goodbye was irritatingly smug, which was expected, Kurama had been mostly quiet. His voice and body were stiff. He even _refused_ to meet her eye. Scarlett swayed her legs as she continued peeling. The memory of that goodbye just wouldn't leave her mind. She shut her eyes for just a moment. _"To think I thought we were finally getting along." _An exaggerated sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back slightly. "_Argh_…! Why are you _so_ confusing?! No wonder I never tried writing about you!" Suddenly annoyed, Scarlett savagely torn into the poor orange, causing the juices to squirt and slide down her fingers.

This is how Hiei found her.

"Pathetic," he commented.

After almost choking to death, Scarlett looked up to see the short demon not even a foot away. "H-H-H-Hiei…!" she sputtered. "Stop appearing out of nowhere like that!" Red eyes merely rolled. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"You are messing with Kurama's mind."

"Well… that helps me out _a lot_," Scarlett's sarcastic tone did not amuse Hiei in the least. She sat the orange on the counter and rubbed the sticky juice on her legs. She'd clean up later. "Could you be a little more specific? You didn't even say why you, personally, are here!"

"Listen, you foolish wench, Kurama will return to this place any moment now to get a change of clothes," Hiei said. Scarlett's eyebrow twitched. "I came to clear things up with you."

"_Eh_…?"

"You have caused Kurama to lose focus. It is vital that he composes himself for this mission."

"Still not understanding."

"The enemy has captured the idiot, so we must go into their territory." Hiei was beginning to become irritated. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to understand. "You licked him, didn't you?" Scarlett blinked once before the flush appeared. "Of all the stupid things you could have possibly done, you had to do _that_?" The red-eyed demon frowned. "Using your tongue that way is a sign of invitation."

"No it isn't. It's kinda disgusting actually."

"_Yes_ it is. Demons use their tongues to symbolize meaning things. It's all about the intention." He actually glared. "Your intention-"

"Was to shock him," Scarlett interrupted. She suddenly found a hand on her throat. He only squeezed a bit, yet she was still pretty shocked. Perhaps a little scared. "Y-Y-You do-don't ha-have to go thi-this far!" Okay, perhaps more than a little scared. For a short person, he was way intimidating. How the hell did he even reach this height? She was still sitting on the island!

"Shut up!" Hiei hissed. Scarlett whimpered a bit, but said nothing more. "Since you know us so well, I assumed that you would also know, at least, the basics of demon culture. Obviously, you have no clue. Like I said, using the tongue can mean many things. You've seen a demon licking their weapon with their eyes on the opponent, yes?" Scarlett nodded. "This means that their intention is to kill. Their opponent is their prey." Okay, that made sense. "To like oneself means either cleaning an injury or to make yourself appear more vulnerable." Hiei's gaze suddenly hardened. "Only the weakest of demons intend to look fragile… and the weaker mate." The human decided she didn't want him to elaborate. "What _you_ did stated loud and clear that your intention was lay him."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! … _What_?"

Hiei roughly released his captive, and then turned his back to her. Scarlett gingerly rubbed her throat. When the short demon continued, she flinched and stopped glaring at the back of his head. "Kurama may be in the body of a human, but his demon instincts remain. Right now, his logical mind and demon mind are fighting for control. This is a distraction, so _you_ need to fix this."

"What can _I_ do?"

"Do nothing. In fact, ignore him."

"That doesn't seem very nice," Scarlett murmured. She crossed her arms. "Then again, he has been ignoring me just fine."

"You stupid woman."

"Hiei, it's not nice to insult people."

"What alternate dimension are you from to think I care?"

"You'd be surprised what fandom has got you doing."

"… Hn."

Scarlett chuckled once. Hiei was just being Hiei. Thank goodness for consistency. In fact, the only thing wrong—but not really—with him was his love for 'sweet snow.' He probably wanted some right now, but wasn't sure how to go about asking for it. _Ha_! Hiei asking was like a mountain jumping. It just didn't happen. Seriously though, it was weird that he hadn't said anything about her end of the bargain. The memory of the short demon being hugged from behind by her flooded her mind. She chuckled again. "If you survive, I'll give you ten pints of sweet snow to make up for not giving it to you right away."

"I couldn't care less," Hiei replied with a scoff. Scarlett rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't get raped." With those parting words, he made his exit, disappearing from that very spot. The human's smile faltered a bit.

"_Raped…?"_ she thought. Kurama wouldn't do something so dastardly. Golden eyes flashed through her mind's eye. _"Then again…"_ Like Hiei said, she knew nothing of the ways of demons. And the Yoko side of him was pretty sketchy. She had better nip this in the bud as soon as possible. Who knew it would be this difficult with just a flick of the tongue? That darn fandom—steering her wrong like this! It said nothing about things like this. However, she didn't really get into _those_ types of fanfiction works. Mostly, she stuck to humorous action stories. Unless it was about a demon lord, she didn't read intimate things. And even in the different universe, _marking_ was the big thing. _"Great, I'm stuck in a world where licking means more than kissing."_ Scarlett let out a long sigh.

She jumped from the island. Still, this information _did_ explain why Kurama had acted that way prior to his leaving. "_Hmm_…" Scarlett rubbed her chin. Apparently, her host was a lot more reticent than she realized. Why was he such a… Actually, she didn't know what to label him as at this point. The Kurama she was used to watching did not give off an uncommunicative type of presence. If something needed to be said, he generally would be the one to say it. There were times where he _was_ his canon self. However, lately, he had behaved like a… Damn, she still couldn't pinpoint his personality. Scarlett never knew what was going on with him.

The young woman threw away the orange peelings and cleaned off the counter. "Anyway, why is it such a struggle? He should have come to realize that I didn't know any better, thus his logic mind _should_ have won by now." Scarlett knitted her eyebrows as she finished cleaning up. "You're so frustrating…!" The girl crossed her arms and scoffed. Screw all this ignoring crap, she thought. Conflict would not be resolved without some good old-fashioned communication. As soon as her red-headed host returned, they were going to set aside their differences and have a talk. But first, a much needed shower. Scarlett suddenly paused, mid stride.

Did Hiei say Kuwabara had gotten _kidnapped_?

0-0

Honestly, he was dreading this encounter. Kurama had been staring at the door of his own home for awhile now—most likely for twenty minutes. He did not have time for this, and yet his feet would not move another centimeter forward. He wanted to laugh at himself. This was the first time in many years that he had felt such intimidation. _"And because of a human girl,"_ he thought, frowning. Kuronue would laugh hysterically if he knew. For a moment, he closed his eyes. Speaking of his old friend, he remained with Yusuke and the others. Perhaps it would have been better to bring him along. No, this run home was only supposed to take about ten minutes. Kuronue was not needed here at the moment.

It would seem that the enemy wanted Kuwabara for his power all along. They needed him to break through the barrier. The red-haired male slowly breathed out. That's right. Time was of the essence. Hesitation should not be in his mind. Kurama composed himself and moved forward. Once more, he sighed, and then he opened the door. His nose twitched as the smell of his home rushed at him. Sweat and… oranges mixed with her scent, and intertwined with his. An eyebrow twitched. There was another scent, besides Kuronue's. _"Hiei…?"_ His scent was as recent as the orange smell. Why did he come here?

Kurama shook his head. Right now, he needed to focus. He could question the fire demon later. Maybe if he headed straight for his room, he could avoid a direct confrontation with his houseguest. There was always time when this ordeal with the ex-Spirit Detective was over. That is, if things turned out in their favor. Kurama quickly bypassed Scarlett's temporary room, making sure to keep quiet. With any luck, she was too busy reading one of his books to notice his presence in the house. Then again, she could not do that, could she? Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. He pushed the door to his room open, straining his ear to catch any movement coming from Scarlett's room. There was nothing. Kurama mentally sighed in relief.

"Glad to see you're back, Shuichi-kun."

The red head flinched before turning his eyes to the center of his room. There, sitting with legs folded on the edge of his bed, was his houseguest. Her eyes, though, were not on him. They were scanning the words to one of his books. _Principles of Paradoxes_—it was a good choice. Kurama frowned. Now was not the time to praise her choice of literature. A page turned. She did not meet his gaze. "Why are you in my room?" Kurama asked. Still, her blue eyes remained on the page. "Scarlett… we have rules." Darn. The intimidation was coming back. And because of that, naturally his aloofness returned. The young woman didn't bat an eyelash. Another page was turned. Had she been waiting all this time for him, lying in wait for his return so that she could strike? Where was his mind going? It wasn't like she was an opponent.

"Sorry," she said, not sounding very apologetic. "I often come into your room in search of a good… resource while you're out for long periods of time." Her eyes narrowed, yet remained on the page. "And I don't recall any rules preventing me from going into any room in this house." Kurama swallowed. More and more it seemed as though he had invaded the territory of a feral tiger. Ironic, seeing as how it was his room she had entered without permission. "Hiei came over you know," Scarlett spoke nonchalantly. "He told me that Kuwabara has been taken by the enemy."

"Yes," Kurama nodded his head. Finally, he moved from the frame of the door. He headed over to his closet. "Which is why I do not have time to speak." With his back turned to her, he could not see the annoyed expression his houseguest was giving. However, he did hear the book snap close. Inadvertently, he cringed.

"You _could_ have called," Scarlett murmured. There was movement, but she did not remove herself form the bed. Kurama tried to focus on finding Chinese-style fighting attire. "Kuwabara-kun's my friend, too."

"I apologize for being careless." The outfit was at the back of the closet. He pulled it and turned to Scarlett. Her eyes were on the floor now. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change." For a moment, the young woman didn't move. She then sighed and stood. Kurama closed his eyes in relief. This needed to be done.

"No." Her voice caused him to open his eyes again. He blinked in surprised. Scarlett remained rooted to the spot, arms crossed under her chest and eyes staring him down. Kurama's mouth opened to protest. "No," she said again. "We're going to talk right _now_."

"What do you mean?"

"_Clearly_, you're beginning to avoid me again. And I _don't_ appreciate it," Scarlett stated. "So if you have anything to say to me, I suggest you say it. I've been considerate of how you were socialized, so it's time you do the same for me. Tell me straight up what's going through your head right now." Kurama cut his eyes to the floor.

"Pardon my tone, but you would not understand."

"_Try_ me," she almost scowled. His attitude was beginning to grate on her nerves. Again, he had become way too detached. Now, he wasn't even trying to answer her. Fine, if he wanted to be that way, then she had no choice. Too bad for him. "You're acting like this again because I licked you, aren't you?" He seemed startled by her question. "What I don't understand is _why _you're acting this way. It probably meant something significant in regards to Demonology, right? Well, obviously, I don't know any better, so you should have written that action off. Your demon instincts can't be _that_ embedded into your brain that you can't even function because of m-" Scarlett stopped. An idea had suddenly struck her. This… _pattern_ was familiar. She had read countless pieces of fiction, so she was sure she heard of this. A strong male character—or real person for that matter—usually changed when a compatible female—or male—was introduced. The relationship usually spiraled down to romance. "You _like_ me?!" Scarlett blurted out before she could stop herself.

Kurama's head snapped up. Her tone was incredulous as if she couldn't believe it. It wasn't that hard to comprehend. A blush suddenly crossed his face. What was he thinking?! He didn't like her—not in _that_ sense! Admittedly, Scarlett Tate _was_ a unique woman. However, as far as feelings go, she was the same as… as… Botan, Keiko, Yukina… his mother? Perhaps not like _them_, but the fact still remains. She was _not_ a love interest—at least not to him. The very thought was… _laughable_. Before Kurama could make his case out loud, Scarlett continued speaking, almost as if she forgot he was in the room.

"Yes, I am attractive and intelligent-"

"_You're a narcissist, that's what you are,"_ Kurama commented in thought.

"But none of my attributes could _ever_ compete with yours," Scarlett said. "I am imperfect, while you are perfect… Well, except when it comes to humor. You kinda suck in that department." The red head's finger twitched. He wanted to whack her upside the head. "Besides," she went on. "We wouldn't work in the first place. I would totally dominant you and that won't be accepted, so it's a no go." That is when her logic ceased to make sense. "Not to mention-"

"Excuse me?" Kurama interjected. Scarlett blinked once, and then focused on attention back on his person.

"What?" she asked.

"Could you repeat that last bit?"

"The part where I said I'd dominate you?" Scarlett asked, sounding confused. With a twitch of his brow, Kurama nodded his head. "Well, it's _true_. I would dominate you, so you'd be the submissive one. And you probably won't like that, thus a romantic relationship won't-"

"That is a bold statement to make."

"It's a _factual_ statement to make."

"How do you know?"

"Based on personalities, of course."

"Care to prove this theory?" His change of clothes dropped to the floor.

"_Is he angry? I can't tell,"_ Scarlett thought. A sudden nervous feeling went through her body. Damn, she had made a mistake. To actually come out and question his—cue eye roll—manliness most likely pissed him off, especially since he was the type to be mistaken as a girl. Scarlett almost scoffed. She had never cared about the 'weaker sex' concept. No matter what gender, there was always a dominant and submissive partner in a relationship. However, she did not like it when men automatically assumed they were superior, meaning they assumed they were dominant. Generally, females accepted this. But Scarlett was the type that would not take it—not without trying. "There's nothing to prove," Scarlett coolly told him. "Some pretty boy will never make me change my behavior and submit to him."

It suddenly occurred to her that insulting him was not the _best_ option. However, _he_ had initiated irritation first. It was only fair. Still, she was regretting her decision. She hadn't even seen him move. Out of nowhere, she was no longer standing across from him. One second, she was standing tall and the next second, her back was pressed against the bed. Indifferent green eyes stared down at her. _"Me thinks I've said too much," _Scarlett thought. Her wrists were being squeezed above her head. Why was it always _this_ position? The book she had been reading before Kurama walked in the room had been left on the bed, and now its corners were digging painfully into her spine. The red head in question hovered over her, knees adjacent to her sides.

"Well…?" he asked.

"You're faster than me. You're stronger than me. You're even smarter than me. However…" Scarlett relaxed her body and closed her eyes. "My mindset won't change. I will _not_ submit."

She opened her eyes again. There was defiance there. Although he had shown his power over her, that look in her eye would not disappear. She was right. No matter what he did, she would not label herself as weaker or submissive. Indeed she was a strong woman, and it would be foolish to try to break her. Green eyes were partially hidden behind eyelids. Kurama had half a mind to try anyway. Scarlett stated her flaws and admitted to not being the best, and yet she still had an air of arrogance about her. What was it? Why did she feel the need to-? Kurama suddenly found a memory planted in his mind. He saw it now.

Scarlett had said this herself. She was an only child. Her father had died, leaving her alone with her mother. She had felt the need to grow up and become strong to protect her last parent. It was no wonder she had this mindset that no one could top her. She _needed_ this mindset. Kurama had never noticed that she had surrounded herself with barriers. _"You're quite clever,"_ he thought. _"But I can see through you now."_ Scarlett was pushing and pulling at the same time. She was afraid of someone dominating her, and she desired it as well—for what reason, he couldn't be sure at this point. However, it was clear to him now. This was the reason for her provoking manner towards him and him alone. It was a hidden test of sorts, and he had yet to pass.

"If you're not going to do anything, then get off. You're only wasting both our times." Scarlett scoffed, showing her annoyance. She was only confirming his thoughts. It wasn't a demand. It was a proposition. _If_ he wasn't going to do anything had been the confirmation. Should he choose to accept the proposal, then there was no turning back… for either of them. Kurama frowned. It shouldn't have been this hard to decide. It would be in everyone's benefit if he were to back down and tell her she was right. However, there were just some things even he could be stubborn about. "Then move already! My back hurts!" Slowly, he loosened his grip, and then removed himself from her. Scarlett sat up. "Are you going to apologize for attempting?"

"I will not," Kurama answered. A smirk found its way onto his face. "In fact, _this_ is only the beginning." Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed. His eyes slide down to the young woman. He took her left hand, ignoring her perplexed expression. He turned her palm up and stretched her arm. Willfully slow, he pressed his lips against her exposed wrist. Her eyes expanded in surprise. Kurama mentally chuckled, and then hid his green eyes. His tongue glided out and licked the vein. Her blood was racing, meaning her heart did the same. He opened his eyes as he pulled away. "Yes, this is indeed the beginning."

"_Eh_…?" Scarlett's arm dropped as Kurama turned his back to her. He said nothing more as he moved to pick up his clothes. He still didn't speak as he left the room. The young woman could only stare, confused, at the spot where he disappeared. Soon, the front door shut, and that is what snapped her out of her daze. She shuddered and grabbed her wrist. It was still wet. "What the _hell_ just happened?!" she screeched. That was _definitely_ not right _or_ okay!

It wasn't until there was a knock at the door did Scarlett finally got up to leave Kurama's room. She was in a state of shock. What _was_ that? How was she _supposed_ to react? Oh, how she hated this—hated it with passion. It wasn't like she was completely left in the dark, but it felt like her flashlight was snatched away from her by that evasive fox. Scarlett scowled as she made her way to the front door.

_It's all about the intention._

Hiei's voice reminded her of the earlier conversation. She narrowed her eyes. If licking the cheek was an invitation, just what the hell was licking the wrist? Was there a difference? Of course there was a difference! It _had_ to be. Kurama had no intention to 'lay' her, did he? The thought was highly unlikely. Now, if it had been his alter ego, then the thought was plausible, but not for the docile red head. Docile…? _Ha_! Although his attempts did not work, he _had_ been quite masculine. Kurama was beginning to become _dangerous_—as dangerous as his counterpart. Scarlett sighed heavily as her hand touched the doorknob of the front door. There would be plenty of time to ponder her host's sudden change in behavior later. Right now, she apparently had a guest. Perhaps, it was Botan coming to _comfort_ her? "_Bah_! She's been hanging around Yusuke too much!" she murmured. Seriously, the comments she made were beginning to get annoying. Scarlett opened the front. "Can I…" Her gaze traveled up. By word, this man was _tall_. "Help you?" The last bit came out in a squeak. She had never encountered anyone as tall as this. Kuronue had nothing on this guy. He bowed his head, and asked for a confirmation about her name. Her eyebrows knitted together. "Who's asking?" Scarlett asked in suspicion.

"Pardon my manners. My name is Sensui Shinobu."

0-0


	10. Chapter 10

"Not that I mind the walking, but would you mind telling me where it is you're taking me?"

Scarlett was annoyed—perhaps even angry. This guy, Sensui Shinobu, had come to Kurama's home, looking for _her_. Obviously, this was suspicious. However, she decided to humor the tall man. He had been very charismatic. The young woman had to sort through her mind, trying to figure out when she had agreed to follow this man. Not many people could be such a smooth talker. Anyway, after Sensui convinced her to leave the house, they had traveled mostly in silence. They had taken the train to Mushiyori. The sun had set by the time they had reached the cave. And now thirty minutes into walking through the cavern, Scarlett was beginning to regret following this man.

Sensui chuckled humorlessly. "To the end, of course," he answered. He didn't even glance back. Scarlett folded her arms over her chest and furrowed her eyebrows. That sounded vague enough to be a death threat. Then again, he _could_ be referring to the back of the cave.

"_Mushiyori City, huh?"_ She recalled an earlier conversation she had with her host. _"Just my luck to be targeted by the enemy this time around." _The girl let out a long sigh. Sensui, however, ignored it. Finally, after another seven minutes, the two reached the destination. The temperature had drastically changed from cool to hot. Already, sweat was beginning to form. Great—she would need another shower by the time this thing was over. There was a lake in the middle, boat floating at its center. There was a man in that boat. Scarlett released another sigh. It was a dead end—pun very much intended on Sensui's part. The guy was probably holding back smug laughter at this very moment.

"SCARLETT…?!" A loud familiar—and muffled—voice snatched the young woman's attention. To her surprise, Kuwabara Kazuma sat, tied up, near the right side of the cave. There was another male sitting on higher ground right beside the younger teen. "What are you _doing_ here?!" Ah, so Hiei had been right after all. This was kidnapping, so what was _her_ situation? She really hoped it didn't mean accomplice. Not a lot of her friends would be happy about the news.

"Calm yourself, Kuwabara-kun." Sensui continued walking until he reached the couch. Scarlett blinked. She hadn't noticed it before. She also hadn't noticed the television either. "We need to conserve your energy." Hesitantly, Scarlett walked over to her distressed friend. His mouth was covered, which explained why his voice sounded muffled.

"Kuwabara-kun," she murmured. His eyes held confusion and anxiousness. "To be honest, I don't know _what_ I'm doing here either!"

"How can you sound so calm about this situation?!" It was getting a bit harder to translate his muffled words. Clearly, though, he was upset.

"Ignorance is bliss…?" Scarlett tried. More stifled nonsense reached her ears. "Well _maybe_ if you guys had informed me of who the bad guys were, perhaps I would have been more resistant!" Kuwabara pointedly glared at her. "There's nothing that can be done about it now, Kuwabara-kun, so let's just move on." Her blue eyes glanced at the man by her friend. "If would you just release him, we'll be on our merry little way!"

"You honestly think any of us will let you walk out of here?" His close-eyed smile made Scarlett cringe. "If you were to try, I don't think I could hold myself back from putting you in my territory." The young woman took a couple of steps backs. Despite not knowing what his 'territory' was, she still did not like the sound of it. She didn't like the guy licking his lips either. That just caused her skin to sprout chill bumps.

"That won't be necessary," Sensui's voice came over. "Scarlett-san, would you kindly make your way over to me?" In response, she produced a wary expression, glancing at the relaxed man out of the corner of her eye. He was a bad guy, yet he had yet to harm her. If anything, the man had only showed politeness. Whether he was sincere or not had yet to be determined. So what could she do? Be rude? Not without reason!

So stiffly, she nodded her head and walked over to the back of the couch. Sensui seemed to be watching something. However, Scarlett's eyes were focused only on the back of his head. She wasn't interested in—what, war movies? "So are you going to explain why you brought me here or keep me in suspense the whole time?" Scarlett asked.

"You are aware of what is happening?" Sensui still didn't turn his head. Scarlett rolled her eyes and chose not to answer. "In a few short hours, that hole that you see there will open." Blue eyes glanced upward. How did she miss the gaping hole, too?! Frowning, Scarlett rubbed at her left eye. It must have been exhaustion. This whole day had been physically and mentally tiresome. "This hole leads to Demon world." Now that she thought about it, Kurama did mention some humans were carving a hole, trying to let the demons out. Her eyes focused on the man in the boat. With his long turquoise colored hair, there was no way he was human. As if sensing her gaze, the seemingly demon male opened his eyes. They were an amber color. Nope, definitely not human. Sensui went on, grabbing Scarlett's attention again. "… and in the end, humanity and its cruel actions will be forever gone." Oh wait, he had been talking that entire time. _Whoops_…

Scarlett tried to hide her nervousness. "Yeah…" she started. "But what does that have to do with me? I still don't understand why you brought me into this. I mean, I could have waited for my demise in the comforts of home."

"SCARLETT!" Kuwabara sounded highly disappointed and incredulous. His friend, though, chose to ignore his outburst.

"All in due time, your purpose will be revealed."

"_I really don't like vague bad guys…"_ she sighed heavily. "So we're basically waiting for Yusuke and the others to get here?" Scarlett asked out loud.

"Precisely. They have already entered the cave. In fact, they entered only a few minutes after we did."

"So they probably know I'm here then?"

"Perhaps." Again, his answer was vague enough that Scarlett wanted to reach out and cuff the back of his head. "They are being entertained by one of my followers now." Finally, Sensui turned his head to look at her. "While we're waiting, could I interest you in this movie?"

"No thanks. You seem to be watching something very bloody."

"Then shall I introduce you to my demon partner? His name is Itsuki, and he seems to be quite interested in you."

Once again, she looked towards the man in the boat. She was assuming he was the Itsuki Sensui was referring to. His eyes were on her as well. "_Ahh_, I see," Scarlett muttered. "So you guys are on that interracial stuff, huh?" The guy holding Kuwabara hostage exploded with laughter. Clearly, he was amused by the implication. Itsuki had no expression. He didn't react. Sensui, however, turned his head, managing to pull off annoyance and flabbergast at the same time. "What? I don't have any problem with it." She shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention to Itsuki. "I'm just curious as to why you're _interested_ in me."

"It is obvious that you are from another dimension." At her narrowed eyes, Itsuki continued. "You have another worldly aura surrounding you. I can see it clearly. You cannot deny it."

"It's not like I was going to," Scarlett muttered. She walked to the water's edge and sat. "But could you tell me how could you tell?"

"With my powers over dimensional portals, I can see if someone or something is from another dimension." His golden eyes remained impassive. "However, I cannot tell where it is you have come from. Your presence here is a mystery to me. Do you know who or what summoned you here?"

"Nope, not a clue."

"I see."

Itsuki—Scarlett didn't know what to make up him quite yet. He was so expressionless that reading him was simply impossible. He said he had powers over dimensions, huh? Well, that must mean he's the one 'carving' the hole to Demon World. Scarlett frowned as folded her arms again. Then why did these people go through the trouble of kidnapping Kuwabara and provoking Yusuke. They could have let all the demons out by now. She recalled Sensui's earlier words. He had told her friend to calm down—something about conserving his energy. _Hm_… Very strange. Could it be that Itsuki was not enough? Could there have been a different layer to get through? If that was true then Kuwabara was probably the last resort, which is why he was taken in the first place. Scarlett found herself snorting. So someone else had recognized that Kuwabara was stronger than anyone seemed to realize.

"_Take that you tree hugging asshole,"_ she thought. She kind of hoped that Hiei heard that remark. When there was no witty retort, Scarlett sighed. How did telepathy work, anyway? She opened her eyes. Speaking of which, a confirmation was needed. "Hey, Itsuki-san! You're a demon, right?"

"That seems to be obvious, yes."

"I heard that using the tongue is very important in your culture. That true?" Scarlett chose to ignore the sarcasm in his words. For a moment, Itsuki merely stared at her. Then he cracked a tiny smirk. She almost didn't see it. He then opened his mouth and lectured. Seriously, he would not stop talking. Who knew that licking was so integrated in demon culture? Scarlett almost regretted asking in the first place. Before she knew it, three hours had gone by. Was Itsuki _waiting_ for someone to ask him? It felt like he had this informative speech _at the ready_. He was probably the type who didn't get to talk much, but when given the chance, he would talk the crap out of some unsuspecting fool. Really, all she had learned was that demons were a bit nasty when it came to licking themselves or objects.

"And then there is the concept of licking another," Itsuki continued, unaware that his audience wanted nothing more than to claw off her ears and rip out her own tongue. At this point, Scarlett did perk up. This was the part she had been waiting for. "There are only two reasons a demon would resort to licking another. However, there are several ways in which another can be licked, which means different things." Nodding her head, she signaled for the demon to go ahead. "Before I continue, may I ask why you are interested?"

"Well, I have to demon friends. I don't want to mistakenly do something that will cause problems," she answered with a shrug. _"As if I haven't already,"_ she finished in thought.

"_Ah_," Itsuki seemed to be satisfied with her answer. However, before he could begin his explanation, Sensui interrupted.

"I'm afraid this will have to be indefinitely postponed. " His gaze did not travel from the television screen. Scarlett found herself glaring at him. How dare he interrupt _just_ when the information she actually _wanted_ was coming up?! "It is almost time, so this needs to be confirmed quickly."

"What needs to be confirmed quickly?" Scarlett nearly growled. She stood and stalked over to the sitting man. Finally, his eyes settled on her. "And why can't it wait until later." Instead of answering her, like a _normal person_, he decided to switch the subject.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked. Twitching, she decided to humor him again.

"Well, despite being hot, I'm fine."

"Really? How extraordinary," Sensui commented.

"How is me being drenched in sweat extraordinary?"

"Any normal human would have died by now. The fumes that the hole is giving off are from Demon world. Apparently, Demon world has a different atmosphere than Human world."

"… Oh."

"Is that all you will say?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

Sensui chuckled again.

Scarlett had to admit that she didn't like this chuckle one bit. It sounded almost… malevolent. It was quite different from his usual humorless chuckles. Her body tensed up quite a bit. "Perhaps I should explain," Sensui said. "Because of this tunnel, ordinary humans in Mushiyori City have gained abilities, their bodies' last effort to prepare for what's to come. According to Itsuki, you had appeared from another dimension in Mushiyori City." Scarlett narrowed her eyes. She did not like where this conversation was going. "The fact that you haven't died in this tunnel confirms that you are a psychic. However, you have yet to use your abilities." The young woman turned her head, eyes landing on Kuwabara. Still, she pointed at Sensui.

"Kuwabara-kun, what the hell is he talking about? What's a psychic?"

The younger teen tried to answer, but his capturer placed a hand over his already muffled voice. "It's about time. I was getting bored over here by myself," he spoke. Confused, Scarlett looked at Sensui again. He was still staring at her, smirk on his tanned face.

"Makibara will awaken your ability now."

Without warning, Scarlett felt immense pain in her side. In the next second, she was airborne. She came crashing down, yelping because of the impact. Hearing Kuwabara screaming her name, she sat up. This Makibara was apparently the guy with the big lips. His foot was still in the air. He had _kicked_ her without remorse. "You asshole…!" she shouted. "I'm a _girl_! Didn't your mother ever teach you some manners?!"

"Girl, guy—it makes no difference to me," he replied nonchalantly as he dropped his leg. Scarlett grimaced as she slowly returned to a standing position. "I'm just doing what's ordered of me."

"_Teh_… You kick like a girl anyway." It was, of course, a lie. That goddamn kick hurt like a bitch. But she wasn't about to tell him that. "You're going to try to force my power to come out with _violence_?!" Sensui nodded his head.

"I'm assuming that because you are from another place, a barrier is containing your abilities. The only option that I came up with is put you in a life or death situation. You understand."

"No I don't understand!" Scarlett yelled. "I _still_ don't understand why I'm here in the first place!"

"Pity," Sensui remarked. He nodded his head. "Continue, Makibara." The creepy guy smirked, and then walked towards her.

"This is totally not fucking fair," Scarlett muttered, glaring.

0-0

"How much further, Mitarai?" Yusuke questioned. The blond teen glanced back. He had been leading the Spirit Detective and his team for quite some time. It had only been ten minutes since the group made it past his former comrade's territory. The kid had ended up dying. It was a tragic decision that Kurama was forced to make. Although no one spoke up about the subject, they were all worried about their friend's current mindset. Mitarai spared a glance at the red head. He held no expression. His eyes merely stared forward. The blue-eyed teenager turned his eyes back to the front. He couldn't begin to imagine what was going through his ally's mind right now.

"It's not much further," Mitarai answered Yusuke. He could pretty much tell what was going on through his head. Urameshi was an open book when it came to emotion. Clearly, he was wary of Kurama's aloof manner. "Just beyond this cavern." Mitarai didn't know much about the other demons when it came to facial expressions either. Hiei and Kuronue wore faces of steel. They hadn't reacted when Amanuma died. Ever since then, no one had spoken. He was half surprised that Urameshi broke the silence. That was probably the type of person he was.

After another few minutes of walking, Mitarai stopped. In just a few seconds, they would reach Sensui's lair. Admittedly, he was a bit scared of facing his former comrade again. "Why are we stopping, buddy?" Urameshi asked. Mitarai closed his eyes for a moment. He still could not understand why he was trusted after all he had done. To go as far as to call him 'buddy.' These were good people.

"Sorry… I just wanted to make sure all of us were ready to face it," Mitarai murmured.

"… Like I said: Why are we stopping?" Yusuke replied. With a nod, the blond teen continued walking. As expected, the temperature went from one extreme to another.

"Blood has been spilled," Hiei commented. This caused Mitarai to gasp.

"Is it Kuwabara-kun?!"

The group ran forward, stopping once they reached the end of the tunnel. Yusuke gasped in shock. His brown eyes expanded. His friend was tied up, in a boat, with a guy beside him. Probably guarding his movements. The boat sat on top of a small pond, which was near the gaping hole. Demons were trying to break free. Kuwabara glared at him. Even from a distance he could see the corner of his eyes welled with unshed tears. The guy beside him sported several bruises and cuts on his face. Also, he seemed to be missing a sleeve. Yusuke expected something like this. He assumed that Kuwabara tried to fight back as a result. However, what he was _not_ expecting was his new friend, Scarlett, sprawled out on the floor, dirtied and battered. Her abused lips were slightly parted. Her eyes were wide open, yet clouded and aimless. "Wh-What the hell is she doing here?! She is-"

"Urameshi, you're _late_!" Kuwabara shouted from his position in the boat. Never had he heard his friend sound so mad. "Scarlett got beat up!"

"Sensui, you're a fucking jackass! You beat up on defenseless woman now!? If she's dead, you're not getting out of here alive!" Yusuke wanted to run over there and beat Sensui within an inch of his life. However, an outstretched arm stopped him. It was Kurama.

"No matter how upset we are, we cannot foolishly rush into battle, Yusuke," he told him. "Remember what Genkai said." The younger teen gritted his teeth. He knew, already! That still didn't make the urge to go ape shit on the enemy leave his mind. Yusuke blinked, finally noticing the trembling of Kurama's arm. He found himself flinching. After that face Kurama made after Amanuma died, Yusuke was a bit afraid of what the trembling meant. Not just the kid, but Scarlett, too? These guys had definitely gotten on Kurama's bad side.

Speaking of which, the boss of this whole fiasco was sitting on a couch, watching television. Yusuke twitched, aggravated by the bad guy's leisure attitude. There was a teal-haired man standing beside the couch. He wasn't really paying attention to the screen, though. "Defenseless…? I wouldn't call her that," Sensui's voice dragged his attention back to him. "She put up quite the fight. And not to worry, Yusuke. She is not dead."

"Good, maybe she'll wake up to see me kick your ass," Yusuke said. He took a step forward, intending to grab Scarlett's body.

"Don't move, Yusuke," Kuronue warned. The young teen looked towards Kurama's old friend. His narrowed eyes were trained on Scarlett. Furrowing his eyebrows, he frowned. "Something's different about her. Her presence is larger than it should be. It's like that crazy doctor's thing."

"A territory?!" Yusuke hollered. "Scarlett's a psychic?!"

"Yes, and her ability is quite dangerous. Makibara, here, almost lost a limb," Sensui stated. At the mention of his name, Makibara leapt from the boat and stood at Sensui's side. "If you can get pass the girl's territory, I will give you a chance to have Kuwabara-kun. One more step, and you will be in her territory. It stretches from there to the back of this couch."

"I don't get it. Since now, all of a sudden she's a psychic, why is her territory up, anyway?" Yusuke questioned. "Isn't she unconscious?"

"It would seem that she is a rare breed of psychic," Itsuki said. "Her power only surfaces when she has reached the unconscious state. If we knew that before hand, perhaps she wouldn't have been so brutally beaten." The demon ignored the glares he was receiving. "I assume that it is backwards for her because she comes from a different dimension."

"And how the hell do you know that?" Itsuki merely ignored Yusuke's question and turned his head away. "Real mature, asshole," he muttered. His brown eyes focused on Scarlett. They had to get pass her territory in order to get a shot at Sensui and Kuwabara. Sweat formed and dripped from his chin. This situation was just getting better and better. He'd rather not lose a limb because of a friend. Okay then, then the only option was to wake her up. "HEY! SCARLETT! CAN YOU HEAR?! NAP TIME'S OVER! _GET_ UP!"

The young woman did not move. "Fool," Hiei almost rolled his eyes. "She's not asleep. She can't hear you." His eyebrow twitched. "I'm getting tired of these damn human territories. Will I be forced to sleep until the end?"

"Hiei, now is not the time for jokes."

"I don't joke."

"Tree hugging asshole."

Hiei clutched the hilt of his sword.

Ignoring the two, Kuronue picked up a rock. If her territory was as dangerous as Sensui said, it was probably best to see what they were up against. Without saying a word, the tall demon hurled the hand-sized rock at his housemate. The rock only reached a few inches before it was cleanly split in half. Yusuke let out a strangled gasp. "Not just friend or foe," Kuronue said. "She can't even tell the difference between rocks." He narrowed his eyes. "Anything or anyone that ventures into her territory suffers the consequences."

"Voices can't reach her, objects can't reach her—how the hell is this _fair_?!" Yusuke seriously wanted to yank out his hair.

0-0


	11. Chapter 11

"_Voices can't reach her, objects can't reach her—how the hell is this _fair_?!" Yusuke seriously wanted to yank out his hair._

"I think the only thing we can do is enter her territory," Kuronue finally suggested. "We don't have time to figure things out."

"I'm with bat boy," Yusuke agreed. However, before he could take another step, Kurama stopped him. "Kurama…?" The human teen flinched. His friend's expression had been similar to when Amanuma died. But quickly as he saw it, it vanished just as fast. "What's wrong?"

"It's true that we don't have the time. However, this situation must be handled delicately." He narrowed his eyes. "Hiei will do it."

"Hiei…?!" Yusuke exclaimed. The shorter demon seemed puzzled as well. "You want to kill her?!"

"Thanks for the faith, detective," he shifted his eyes to Scarlett's unconscious body. _Ah_, he understood now. With her in that state, it would be easy to invade her subconscious and wake her up. However, there was a slight problem. He could not do it by himself. His red eyes turned to Yusuke, who was in the middle of ranting. "Quiet, you fool," Hiei interrupted. The teen turned to glare at him. "Kurama's right. I will do it. It should only take about a minute." He focused on the red head. "But someone must go into her territory in order for this to work." Kurama nodded his head, silently volunteering himself.

"No, we can't let you go in by yourself!" Yusuke protested. "We don't even know what you're up against."

"I will go," Kuronue stated. "For backup." After a moment, Kurama nodded his head again. "Let's do this." The two former partners walked forward. The atmosphere instantly shifted upon their arrival in the unconscious girl's territory. It was much dimmer in the territory than outside of it. The air was almost stifling. Scarlett's body was still lying in the same place, eyes wide open and mouth agape. "That's pretty freaky, isn't it?"

"Kuronue…" came the warning.

"I got it, I got it. This isn't the time for joking." The two former thieves moved forward. They only took a couple of steps before the territory altered to defend its master. One humanoid, plasma like figure appeared in front of Scarlett's body. "Wait… Isn't this Mitarai's technique? We haven't come across anyone with the same thing, right?" Kurama narrowed his eyes, not answering. "Maybe she's a copier." Without warning, the plasma fell away like a cocoon shedding from a butterfly. "_Hello,_ sexy," Kuronue commented.

Standing there was a girl, no older than eighteen. Her long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Pink eye shadow highlighted her deep brown eyes, which gazed fiercely at the two of them. Her outfit was a black full body skintight suit. With the pink shoulder pads and other armor strapped to various parts of her body, she appeared to be a warrior. The sword attached to her side by the use of a red sash only confirmed this. However, the young teen held a large boomerang shaped object behind her, clutching the strap around the top as though she might throw it. "Not another step, demons." Her voice sounded muffled from the mask strapped to the lower part of her head.

"Human…?" Kuronue murmured. "That's who sliced and diced that rock?" The demon crossed his arms. "So this territory allows her to summon protectors? Piece of cake."

"Don't be hasty, Kuronue," Kurama suggested. "This is Scarlett's _mind_ we're dealing with. Because it is her, I don't think it's as simple as that."

"Well, you've known her for a lot longer than me."

"_Hiei, are you getting this?"_

_Yes, but it would seem that this isn't as easy as I first realized._

"_What do you mean?" Kurama narrowed his eyes._

_The woman is stronger, not weaker, in this state._

"_Which means…?"_

_You'll have to get closer._

Kurama let out an inaudible sigh. That was something he had wanted to avoid all together. Being stronger in a weakened state—it was such a contradiction. Then again, Scarlett herself was a contradiction. Putting on such a strong façade for so long and yet all this time she had wanted the chance to depend on someone else. All in order to finally feel at ease. "Scarlett…" he whispered. The red head licked his lips, and then stepped forward. The female warrior sank down into a battle ready stance at his movement. Kurama took another step, vowing to save his houseguest in any way he could.

"I warned you…!" The female warrior slid one foot back, and then flung the giant boomerang. "HIRAIKOTSU!" The giant weapon rapidly made its way towards the two demons. Kuronue's eyes widened in surprise.

"That thing's heavier than it looks!" he shouted. The two demons hurriedly dodged the dangerous boomerang. It destroyed the ground they previously occupied before returning to its master's hand. With a giant leap, she flung her boomerang again. Once again, the two dodged. This time, they ran in the opposite direction of each other. She caught her weapon, and then threw it towards Kuronue. She then ran towards Kurama, katana drawn. Grimacing, the red head pulled out his rose whip. He deflected her strikes which took surprising effort.

"_She's no amateur!"_ Kurama thought as the young woman suddenly back flipped away. She stood protectively in front of Scarlett as she caught her large weapon again. His green eyes shifted to Kuronue. He seemed to have his own set of problems with her boomerang. The weapon returned to her hand, causing her to slide back a bit. So it was heavier than it seemed. If it managed to make a direct hit, one or both of them would be out of commission for awhile. Also, it did not look as though the weapon could be broken so easily.

Kurama distanced himself from the woman as she threw the boomerang at Kuronue once more. There had to be some way to break through her defense, and he was opposed to using his whip on a human. Assessing her defense from all sides, he noticed that she was watching his every move while her boomerang gave the bat demon the run around. A thought suddenly hit him, and he called out to his partner, gaining a fraction of the bat's attention. "Do you recall when we raided Tsubaki's castle?" he asked.

"I don't know if you realize this-" Kuronue said in between his moment of reprieve while the boomerang went back to the woman before him. "-But now is not the time to be reminiscing about what may have been the most legendary raid of them all."

Kurama sighed. "I'm not talking about the raid itself. I'm talking about the _strategy_ that we used in that raid." He went to stand by the bat's right side. If they were going to defeat this female, then they had to use the same tactics.

Coming to a sudden understanding, Kuronue shot the redhead a side glance. "You know as well as I do that I don't particularly like using that tactic."

"We have no other options, and technically, you will not be breaking your honor code. Your ability of the shadows is the only thing that we have at the moment," Kurama explained, receiving a sigh and nod from Kuronue. Closing his eyes, the red head took a breath before charging straight at the woman. As predicted, she had seen him as the primary threat and threw her boomerang at him. With his demonic acrobatics, he jumped high, watching as the boomerang passed under him.

The sound of metal hitting metal caught his attention, but before he looked up to see how Kuronue was fairing, he made sure that he was completely clear of the boomerang. When he was sure that he was out of harm's way, he looked up and smirked. Kuronue was holding off the female's sword attacks with his scythe, keeping her distracted. She didn't notice the fact that the bat was distracting her from the fact that her boomerang was heading straight for her. Kurama waited for the impact of her own weapon, but it didn't happen. Silently, he started to advance on the two fighters, waiting to intervene if needed.

Without taking her eyes off of her foe or faltering in her attacks, the armored woman practically stole the boomerang out of the air when it neared her. However, unable to continue her current battle with the added weight, she discarded it, focusing solely on the bat. It was when the boomerang hit the ground that arms locked under hers, pulling her upward into a restraint. Surprised, she dropped her katana, and it hit the ground with a thud. "Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling against her unknown captive to get free.

"You should know not to let an enemy distract you." Kurama went to stand beside Kuronue. "They could get behind you—or in this case, Kuronue's shadowed clone could get behind you."

"It's nice to gloat, but there are more important things to take care of," Kuronue mentioned. He jerked his head over to the unconscious girl. "Get over there so Hiei can do his thing."

"Right," Kurama agreed. Walking away, the red head ignored the cries from the captured woman. No matter how much she struggled, she wouldn't be getting out of Kuronue's hold anytime soon, giving him and Hiei the necessary time they needed to pull Scarlett back to consciousness, thus her territory would evaporate.

"_Uh_… Kurama… I think we've got a problem," Kuronue's voice caused the red head to stop and turn. His eyes widened. The woman had returned to her original plasma like form. She then slowly dissolved, until the form completely disappeared. "She's summoning _more_ of them!" Kuronue's warning made Kurama returned his attention to Scarlett's body. However, he could not see her because three humanoid forms stood in front of her. Like before, the plasma slid away as if shedding. Once the forms were revealed, he found himself gasping. Out of the three males, he had instantly recognized one of them. "Yoko-chan…?!" It would seem Kuronue did as well. "How…? Why is he in her subconscious?!"

"It can't be…"

Standing there, in the middle of two other demons, stood his alter ego. Long silver hair, golden eyes, and big fox ears on top of his head—it was without a doubt Yoko, former legendary bandit of Demon World. Did Scarlett pull Yoko from his mind into hers? Fortunately, the voice inside his head was quick to dismiss that question by speaking. Kurama narrowed his eyes again. If that was the case, Scarlett was not summoning protectors. She was _creating_ them based on what she had seen, which means her protectors were merely clones. Not the real thing. That also meant that he didn't have to hold back.

Green eyes shifted to the demons standing beside the copy of his alter ego. Both of them had similar features to Yoko—golden eyes and long silver hair. The one dressed in traditional attire, which was red haori and hakama, held a rather large sword. The tip of it was slightly curved, resembling a fang. It had its own demonic aura entirely. By the smell of him, he was a half demon. Perhaps he wasn't as strong as the other one. Unlike the sword welding Halfling, the other seemed older with more experience behind that impassive facial expression. He was a full demon, equipped with demon markings on his face. A crescent moon on his forehead and two stripes above his cheekbones. He wore ancient armor and his choice of clothing seemed to be finely made. He was obviously a demon of royal descent. He shouldn't take him lightly. He shouldn't take any of these silver-haired protectors lightly.

Scarlett was no fool. She had summoned clones of three seemingly very powerful demons. With such a strong defense, Kurama was beginning to doubt if he could reach her. However, he couldn't have these doubts—not now. The fate of the Human World depended on breaking through this obstacle. The three silver-haired protectors suddenly moved. The clone of his alter ego went to stand by Scarlett's unconscious body. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The one with the ancient armor did the same but for the opposite side. He appeared to be indifferent about the situation, almost bored. The Halfling of the group took several steps forward, holding his sword as if to attack. _"So two stay defensive while the other attacks?" _Kurama thought. Well, that would be a little easier than all of them attacking at once.

_Kurama, it's already been a full minute out here. Stop wasting time assessing your enemies and get it done._

So the there was a major time difference then? He had believed that nearly ten minutes had passed since he and Kuronue entered his houseguest's territory. Hiei was right. Time was of the essence. As soon as that movie the enemy was watching ended, the portal to Demon World would be opened. Kurama closed his eyes for a moment, reaching for the back of his hair. A seed was pulled, and after adding a bit of his demon energy, it transformed into a rose, and then, into his signature Rose Whip. His opponent grinned as if eager for battle.

"So it looks like you're ready to die now," the Halfling remarked. "I'm gonna cut you up! Let's go!"

"Yes, let us begin."

0-0

"Hey, would you stop moving back there!" At the demand, Scarlett frowned. They had been traveling like this for hours. She couldn't help it if she was uncomfortable. This robe of the fire rat wasn't all as soft as it looked. The young woman moved once more—in an attempt to become comfortable—and tightened her arms around her transporter's neck. "_Keh_—we're almost there, anyway!"

"Sorry about this, Inuyasha," Scarlett murmured. "You're the only one that can do this for me." She was currently on the half demon's back. He had stopped running and hopping a few minutes ago, and now he was walking at a leisure pace. The castle was within eyesight.

"Whatever, I don't care." He scoffed. "I don't understand why you even still do this. You know none of this is real."

"Yeah, I know," Scarlett replied. "But I like visiting."

"It's your mind, you crazy person."

"_Haha_—indeed, indeed," she grinned. "The ability to do this is what makes me a great writer. Actually interacting with the characters I write about gives me an advantage." Inuyasha merely scoffed again. After another few minutes, he set her on her own two feet. The entrance to the castle was a short walk away. The two entered, causing the guards to bow. Scarlett's blue eyes darted all over. Everything seemed to be the same as the last time she had come. She smiled. It had been so long since she had last revisited this place. Perhaps now she could finish the story… The woman halted, causing her red-clad warrior to also stop. His questioning amber eyes turned to her. "Sorry, it's nothing." She waved off his look and caught up to him. "It's just weird. I haven't been working on this story for a long time."

"That's your problem."

"Inuyasha."

The two stopped, hearing the new voice. Then the half demon rolled his eyes. Scarlett grinned and rushed forward to stand in front of the demon lord. Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Sesshomaru-sama!" The woman circled him, looking at every detailed. "Same as ever…?" she asked. "Getting along with Tomoe-chan?"

"She is… better than those 'characters' you have paired me up with in the past," he reported. A nervous smile tugged at her lips.

"Give me a break—I was _ten_! I didn't know what I was doing _and_ I was emotionally unstable!" she exclaimed. "And anyway, you two haven't gotten to the romance part of your relationship yet. But that's all going to change when a dramatic event occurs. It's going to be great."

"Oh, I'm sure," Inuyasha commented.

"Do you want me to end your life just after you and Sesshomaru-sama had accepted one another as brothers?" Scarlett hissed.

"You wouldn't do that," Inuyasha smirked smugly. "According to your own words, character death would ruin the story at this point."

"_Argh_! Damn it. Maybe I shouldn't think of you as smarter than you are," Scarlett clicked her tongue, causing the half demon to throw her an annoyed look.

"Enough," Sesshomaru spoke again. He turned and began walking away. "You have a guest." Scarlett followed after him, blinking in surprise. A guest that she didn't know about…? That rarely happened. The last time it had happened, Tomoe's character had been established. Her eyebrows furrowed. Had she been thinking of making plot twist? She shook her head. No, the story was almost over. In about three more chapters, it would all end. A new twist would only confuse readers. Also, Scarlett had planned the story's beginning and end. The middle had already been filled. She hadn't planned on making a sequel either.

Still, she followed because her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Perhaps this person was the main character of her completely original story. She was eighteen. It _was_ the time to start thinking of novels. With that thought in mind, she grinned and caught up with the demon lord. He had stopped in front of a room. He had slid the door open as well, stepping aside. However, she could not see what lied ahead. "I leave you to it," he said. Scarlett nodded her head, and then stepped inside. The door closed behind her. She paid no mind to it, thought.

There, sitting on the tatami floor—drinking _tea_—was not a character. He was a real person. A person that she had known for ten years until death snatched him away. "Dad…" Scarlett whispered. Her shocked voice caused the man to turn his blue eyes to her. He gave her a smile. The woman moved closer before dropping to her knees. He still appeared to be in his thirties. He hadn't aged a day since the last time. "Daddy!" For a moment, she regressed back to her ten year old state. She launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around the man's neck. His drink was spilled, but he had returned the embrace. "Dad! What are you doing here?!"

"It's your mind," he answered. Still, the two had not released each other. Father and daughter remained in this position for more than a minute. She had missed Andrew Tate so much. He had never once appeared in her mind before, so she had believed she would never see him again. Her father rubbed her back comfortingly. Finally, Scarlett pulled away. "I've wait for this moment for a long time. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you and your mother."

"What do you mean you've been waiting?" Scarlett asked.

"Sorry. I can't say," Andrew replied. "It'd be against the rules." Scarlett blinked. Rules…? Whose rules? But if she asked, he probably couldn't tell her that either. So it was best just to keep quiet. "I am very proud of you, Scarlett. You have watched over in place of me. No child should have to do that, but you did. Most would have become selfish, worrying only about themselves and how the world was unfair. However, you pushed pass that." Cheeks flushing, the young woman averted her eyes. She was a bit embarrassed that her father was telling her this. "That's my girl!" His large hand came down on her head and ruffled her hair. Scarlett grinned widely. He always used to do this whenever she came home with news of her getting good grades in class. Andrew stopped his actions that caused nostalgia. "You even came to Japan in order for Becca to have a chance at love again. You are truly an admirable daughter."

"I didn't want to make her feel guilty," Scarlett replied. "I don't even know if that decision was made in vain." Andrew chuckled.

"Your mother is a stubborn woman," he stated. "Only recently has she decided to move on."

"You _know_…?"

"Yes, I still watch over you both—different dimensions be _damned_!" Her father gave a haughty laugh as if it was solely his prowess that caused him to be cross dimensions. Scarlett refrained from rolling her eyes. She now knew where she got her slight egotism from. "She was planning on telling you whenever you two spoke again," Andrew turned serious again. "But this is not what I'm here to tell you."

"_Hm_…?"

"Scarlett, you're so used to protecting that you have not allowed anyone to try to protect you," he stated. "Your independence is indeed admirable, but being too independent can hurt you." Scarlett narrowed her eyes.

"I don't need to be protected," she said. "And I've got to where I am now by being independent. I won't change."

"My poor daughter," Andrew murmured, closing his eyes. He sighed heavily. Finally, he opened his eyes again. The man reached over, clutching his daughter's right shoulder. "This attitude makes it hard for others to approach you." He sighed again. "Although I do not like it, you have had suitors."

"No I didn't. I think I would realize if some guy liked me."

"No, you didn't. Even in a different country, there were boys who truly had feelings for you," Andrew said. "You didn't notice because you do not trust people enough for them to get closer to you. Even now…"

"Even now…?" Scarlett questioned. Her father merely shook her head.

"What I want to say is that you _must_ pull back your defenses. They are too powerful," he stated. "As this is a matter of high importance, I could be the one to tell you." At her confused expression, his tone became more aggressive. "Scarlett, you have to stop relying on yourself! You're putting your friends and the world in danger!"

"What the heck are you-"

"Those characters in your mind, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, not only are they a part of your story, but they also act as your protectors for when you can't do it yourself!"

"Dad, that doesn't make any sense!"

"Did you forget where you are? The dimension you are in is a place where unnatural things happen naturally," Andrew placed his other hand on her left shoulder. "You have the power to bring characters to life in order for them to protect you. Living, breathing, and fighting barriers. However, these barriers are only causing those who want to protect you fail."

"Okay, okay—I get it! But I didn't know about this. How do you expect me to call them off?" Scarlett asked.

"You have to wake up."

"… You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple. You are not sleeping right now. It is hard to force yourself awake, nearly impossible. However, you are unconscious. You're not sleeping. There _is_ a difference," Andrew's explanation was hurried as if he was running out of time. "You have a strong will, so you _can_ wake yourself up."

"How…?!"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "My will isn't as nearly as strong as yours." Scowling, Scarlett moved to stand. "Hold on a minute. The will is connected to the mind. Your mind is a powerful thing, so think of some way. I'm sure you can do it." He stood as well. "You are the daughter of Andrew and Rebecca Tate. Do not disappoint your proud parents!"

"Dad…"

"It is time for me to leave," he muttered. The man pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. "I love you, and I will always love you and your mother." He was leaving. He was leaving her again. Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut, holding back her tears. Her arms wrapped around the man.

"We love you, too!" As soon as she finished, her father disappeared from her arms. He had faded like he was a ghost. "Daddy…" A few tears slipped from her eyes. The young woman shook her head, and then hastily wiped the wetness face. A determined look finally surfaced. "The fate of the world, _huh_?" She closed her eyes for a moment. "Damn… Oh well, I should get started on bringing down the 'barriers.'" The young woman almost rolled her eyes at the thought.

However, she had no idea what to do first. Like she had stated, she hadn't even known her mind was using the _Inuyasha_ characters as shields. "Shields…? Barriers," Scarlett muttered. Her mind was blocked because of this. She dropped down into a sitting position. Her legs were folded in as she continued to think. Her knowledge of barriers wasn't great. The first time she had even heard the word was because of Naraku. Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed again. If she remembered correctly, they were used to keep things and people out, cloaking his scent as well. However, Kagura could leave if she wanted to. "But I have no idea how to leave myself. Also, I doubt that would help if it's still up." Her knee shook. Fingers tapped her forehead. She was becoming increasingly frustrated. "Wait a minute!"

She stood up, looking around. Her father had said that her mind was a powerful source and it was tied to her will. Maybe she could move her will outside of her defenses. It was worth a shot. If it didn't work, she could always try something else. But hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. Scarlett closed her eyes. She knew of only one person that she might be able to reach. "If I can just picture an astral projection of myself then maybe I could contact him." Confusing at the concept was, Scarlett did have a bit of confidence. After all, the person she was trying to reach could do the hard part.

After a few minutes of absolutely nothing happening, she fell to the floor. Just great! When she _needed_ the tree-hugging asshole, he didn't want to show up. Scarlett sighed and rolled onto her stomach. Using her folded arms as a cushion, she propped her head up. Her narrowed eyes stared at the far wall. For a time, she only stared into space. "If I created them, then can I control them, too?" Scarlett sat up, and then blinked. "Inuyasha… come here," she said. Within a second, the half demon appeared in front of her. "Holy…!" The red-clad male raised a brow. "Are you, by any chance, doing something else right now?"

"On the outside, I'm fighting some girl and guy," he stated.

"You're fighting a _girl_?" Scarlett asked. "What do they look like?"

"_Uh_…" Inuyasha closed his eyes for a moment. "Red hair, green eyes, some weird green whip… _Um_… flower power, I don't know. The other one is tall, has large wings, and an ugly hat. But I'm not really fighting him because he's only standing there." Inuyasha opened his eyes again to see Scarlett staring at him with her mouth wide open. Then she laughed. Practically roared with laughter. "Something funny?"

"Th-That's no-no-not a gi-gir-girl!" she giggled. "Oh God! That's _Kurama_! He's a male!"

"… Could've fooled me. He's worse than Jakotsu."

"Wait, wait…! Why are you fighting Kurama anyway? He's not the enemy!"

"He… isn't…?"

"Damn it, Inuyasha!"

"Hey, get off me! _Sango_ attacked him, too!" There was a faint blush on his face. "How are we supposed to know who's the enemy and who's not when you don't tell us anything?"

"When were you going to tell me that you fight outside my mind?!"

"This was the first time, okay? Stupid girl."

Grumbling, Scarlett ignored the silly insult. "Okay, well, _stop_ fighting them. They are both my friends," she stated. She narrowed her eyes. This was what her father was referring to. If Inuyasha was keeping them at bay, then the real enemy had to be behind it all. Was it Sensui? She was having trouble remembering how she got into this predicament in the first place. What exactly knocked her unconscious? "Also, figure out a way to wake me up."

"Why do I have to do it? Sesshomaru's right there beside you."

"_He's_ out there, _too_?!" Scarlett pulled at her hair. "Why exactly don't I know the workings of my own mind?!" Inuyasha merely shrugged. "Oh fine," she nearly growled. "Sesshomaru-sama, I'm a bit upset right now so get in here!" Like his younger brother, the demon lord appeared less than a second later. "Did you know about any of this?"

"Indeed I did."

"God damn it." She sighed heavily. "Anyway, if you're out there, could you focus more on waking me up? Contrary to what my dad may have said to me, I don't know how to attempt to wake myself from unconsciousness seeing as how I haven't been unconscious before." The young woman grumbled a bit as she stood up. "I don't care what you do, just wake me up. Can you do that?"

"I can try, but do not expect for a good result. I do not know how to wake an unconscious person either," Sesshomaru replied. He blinked. "Inuyasha is still fighting that red-haired woman—man… thing." Scarlett would have chuckled if it wasn't for her glaring at the half demon.

"What?! I haven't fought anyone in a long time, damn it! I haven't even used the Wind Scar yet!"

"Stop. Fighting. Him. _Now_!" she ordered. "I _will _sit you!"

0-0

The Halfling suddenly jumped back, causing Kurama to narrow his eyes in confusion. He had been swinging his swords, trying to injure him for most of the battle. Kuronue hadn't stepped in once because really he knew and understood that he didn't need to. The Halfling had no sense of how to use a sword. He waved it around like it was blunt object. Evading his attempts to slice an appendage off was quite easy to do. However, it wasn't easy to make an attack on him. The large sword acted as his weapon and shield. His Rose Whip could not cut through it. The clothing that his opponent wore also seemed to be durable.

His moves now were a change in his strategy. He had been trying to close the distance between them all this time. It was strange that he had been the one to retreat for once. The Halfling lifted his sword. There was a grin on his face. Kurama eyed the sword. There seemed to be a massive amount of demonic aura swirling the blade. His eyes widened. Was his opponent about to unleash an ultimate attack? _"It would appear that it's long-ranged,"_ he thought. His hand gripped his whip's handle.

"Fight off this!" His sword began to descend. "Wind Sc-"

"Inuyasha." An impassive voice caused the Halfling to halt the attack. His shoulders hunched over as if he had been scolded. The massive demon energy dissipated. Kurama, ever suspicious, furrowed his eyebrows. The one who had spoken was the one with the demon markings. "If you continue to disobey, you know what will happen. I, for one, do not want to sing 'Brother My Brother' _again_." The Halfling flinched a bit as if he were remembering a horrid experience.

"Can't I just use it once, Sesshomaru?! She won't find out if we don't-"

"No."

"Damn you." The Halfling, now known as Inuyasha, clicked his tongue, and then placed his large sword in its sheath. Golden eyes glared at him. He pointed a claw at him. "_Oi_! If you were the enemy then I would definitely kill you! Tricking me like that!"

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru, apparently, caught the Halfling's attention. "Enough." Again, Inuyasha clicked his tongue. He actually turned his back to Kurama and headed over to the two other silver-haired demons.

"What the hell is going on?" Kuronue had stepped to his friend's side.

"You are no longer an enemy to her," it was the clone of Yoko that answered. He smirked. "Strange how I couldn't recognize you, Shuichi." Tentatively, Kurama lowered his arm. He didn't understand how it happened, but Scarlett must have realized who he was. His green eyes shifted to her body. She had not awakened from her unconscious state. He wondered how she managed to do that. The clone of his alter ego dropped down to his knee. His hand gripped her shoulder and positioned her into a sitting position. His raised knee was used as support. With two fingers, he lowered her eyelids until her eyes were no longer visible.

"_Oh_… _Oh_, that's good then, right?" Kuronue asked.

"We'll see," Kurama responded.

His green eyes watched as the one called Sesshomaru knelt down as well. He flinched when he unceremoniously slapped the girl's cheek. "_Hm_… That didn't work." He had left behind a red mark. Kurama felt his jaw tense.

"I highly doubt hurting her while unconscious is going to wake her," the clone of Yoko remarked. "Perhaps it's like _Sleeping Beauty_?"

"You are _not_ kissing her!" Inuyasha growled.

So they were trying to wake her as well? "Allow me," Kurama walked forward. At the narrowed eyes of Sesshomaru, the red head quickly returned his whip to its seed form. "I am her ally," he told them. Again, he walked forward. This time, there wasn't opposition to his movements. He reached the unconscious girl. He, too, knelt at her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and held her. _"Hiei, I have reached her. Tell me what to do now,"_ he thought, closing his eyes.

_It's about time._

"_Hiei…"_

_Hn… There's still a block to her mind._

"All three of you will have to leave in order for this to work," Kurama mentioned.

"What?" Inuyasha didn't seem to like that idea. "I'm not-"

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru, once again, quieted the Halfling. Kurama turned to face him. He wouldn't call it a glare exactly, but the demon's seemed to stare at him quite intensely. "She does not view you as a protector." His words struck like a sharp projectile. "Until that time comes—_if_ it comes—I will not allow you to take her."

"Allow…?" Kurama found himself glaring. The demon didn't clarify what they meant. He only smirked. This Sesshomaru demon didn't seem the type to willingly answer inquiries—truthfully, anyway. Without warning, he and the two others, regained their plasma humanoid forms, and then disappeared. _"Hiei, is this enough?"_ he thought.

_Yes, give me a second._

True to his word, one second later, Scarlett's eyelids cracked open. As her eyes open, he could feel the difference. Her territory had vanished. A pained groan came from the woman in his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut. "My body…" she grimaced. "It really hurts." Now that he got a good look at her, she did look really bad. Her skin was covered in sweat, blood, and bruises. She was even missing a shoe. Kurama's lip twitched, holding back a snarl. Her blue t-shirt was torn down the middle and one of her jeans' legs had been torn off as well. Scarlett tried to stand. However, he held her tightly. "Kurama…?"

"Who… Who did this to you?" he questioned.

God, she was tired. She could barely keep her eyes open. And the heat wasn't helping either. Her blue eyes tried to find Kurama's gaze. However, his bangs were effective in hiding his green eyes from her. What had his question been? Scarlett furrowed her brow, trying to remember. He wanted to know how she ended up like this. An image of Makibara flashed though her mind. Her body tensed, recalling the brutal way he had toyed with her. No matter how hard she fought back, he wouldn't go down. He was definitely not an average human. Shuddering, she lifted her finger and pointed in the direction of the jackass that did this to her. "Him," she whispered.

Kurama followed her finger, settling his gaze on the smirking psychic. "I see," he said. The red-head stood up, lifting Scarlett in his arms. She felt too weak to protest. However, as she was handed over to Kuronue for 'safe keeping,' she did question what he was going to do. "I'm going to… take care of a parasite." She couldn't see his expression, but surely he was joking, right? What was he talking about? Sighing, Scarlett closed her eyes. Her head hurt too much right now to think. Hiei, that tree-hugging asshole, had appeared in her mind and had kicked her _in the face_. What was it with people _hurting_ her to get her _do_ something? A little think called politeness goes a long way, jerkwards!

Scarlett winced again when Kuronue placed her on the ground. Still, she didn't open her eyes. She heard the familiar voice of Yusuke, though. "Scar, you look like you've been dragged through hell!" The young woman opened her eyes to glare at the younger teen.

"When I feel better, I will make you pay for that," she growled.

"Oh great, she's still Scar," Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry; I'll kick their ass for doing this to you!"

"I feel like I wanna kick Hiei's-" Scarlett began, trying to sit up. She didn't get far because Kuronue had interrupted by telling her to lie back down. The dark look from Hiei was ignored.

"Just wait and stay still," he said. "You're in no condition to be doing much of anything right now."

"Fine."

She was sleepy, anyway.

0-0

A tingling feeling suddenly overwhelmed her body. She shivered as if cold, and then opened her eyes. The young woman blinked rapidly, seeing a familiar face staring back at her. "_Hm_… Why is a gay man this close to me?" Scarlett questioned. Impassive as always, Itsuki, reared his head back, taking his six extra hands with him. "Wh-What? What the heck?" A hand reached up and touched her forehead. The tingling feeling had gone. Her body didn't hurt as much anymore, either. She stared down at herself. Her clothes were still torn and bloody. She was dirty, too. This realization caused her to glower. "I guess the end of the world hasn't come yet." Her eyes darted around. "On second thought…" She seemed to be in a void of destruction. Remnants of buildings, weapons, and other things surrounded and floated around her. Was that a part of a skeleton? "Where am I?"

"Scarlett-san…!" A blond teen floated over to her.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Scarlett!" A louder voice stole her attention. It was Kuwabara Kazuma. He, along with Kurama and Kuronue, floated her way. Hiei stayed where he was, uncaring. "I'm so glad you're alright now!" She gave him a look of perplexity. "Well, you were badly hurt. I couldn't see what was really going on in your territory, but Kurama managed to save you."

"Hey, I was there, too!" Kuronue stated indignantly.

"Territory…?"

"Yes, it would appear that you are a psychic," Kurama replied. "Your territory is what prevented us from reaching Sensui." Scarlett stared blankly at him. "I will explain at a later time. Right now, Yusuke is fighting Sensui. Before you awakened, Koenma came and tried to seal Sensui in his pacifier."

"You're kidding, right? His _pacifier_?"

"Apparently, it did serve a purpose," Kurama continued. "However, he failed in sealing him when Sensui revealed a new kind of power."

"The Sacred power," Hiei stated. His red eyes stared out of the… window? The fire apparition frowned. "Things are at a standstill at the moment." The others floated towards the lookout.

"_Um_… I don't think it's at a standstill anymore…" Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know what's going on, but that yellow crap around Sensui and Yusuke looking all calm and accepting is _not_ good!"

"No… No!" Green light began to emit from Kuwabara's palm. She, and the others, looked his way in surprise.

"Kuwabara-kun…?" Scarlett's lips parted. This was it. This was what she had thought about before. The large teenager was finally unleashing his hidden potential. His ultimate power. _"Why…?"_ Her blue eyes turned back to the fight. Sensui was in the motion of running towards Yusuke. _"Yusuke… he's going to allow himself to… die,"_ she thought. She had seen the Dark Tournament. Kuwabara had done the same thing in order for Yusuke to unlock his full potential, too. Scarlett's eyes expanded. This time it wasn't a merciful opponent. Sensui would really kill Yusuke. "NO!" she shouted out loud just as Kuwabara's sword sliced through Itsuki and his demon pet.

A blinding light caused the young woman to shield her eyes. However, she felt an arm encircle her. No more than a few seconds later, she felt her feet on solid ground. The air around her was no longer cold. It had rapidly changed to hot. Scarlett's eyes shot open. Kuwabara shouted out Yusuke's surname and told him to get out of the way. Yusuke only turned towards the group. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Sensui's fingers actually pierced their friend and comrade's flesh, digging deep. A strangled gasp came from Scarlett's mouth. Blood spurted from his wound as the young Spirit Detective fell backwards. She didn't even hear the sound of his body crashing.

For a few moments, the others merely stood there, staring at the corpse in shock. Scarlett dropped to her knees. She blinked several times, trying to keep her tears back. This couldn't be. Yusuke… He was the hero of the show. He couldn't be dead. This wasn't even a show anymore. He was a real person. A person that she had come to care for. Her eyes squeezed shut. He wasn't the best role model, but he was a good kid. He… can't be dead. "Yusuke…!" Her fingers dug into the dirt. This couldn't be real. This could not be real. "This can't be real!" Tears managed to squeeze through her shut eyes and dripped to the ground. In her mind, she thought of all the times she had spent with the teen. Pulling pranks on each other, playing games, bickering, laughing, teasing—this couldn't be the end of his life, could it? Urameshi Yusuke had become something akin to a younger sibling.

"Trial of Humanity. The defense rests," Sensei said. Kuwabara was still in shock. In denial really. He demanded that Yusuke stop fooling around and stand up. He had become desperate, even saying that it was joke—payback for him tricking Yusuke with Toguro. His actions towards the dead body caused more tears to fall. From Scarlett and him both. "For some reason I thought his death would bring catharsis. I even tied the last scene of the movie as a requiem for his death." Sensei's voice caused Scarlett to look up. He had the nerve to look remorseful. More dirt caked under her fingertips. "Instead I feel a deeper sadness. Another soul lost, fighting for the wrong side." This guy—how the hell did he manage to make her go through three of the five stages of death in less than a minute? Right now, she was stuck on anger. "But in truth, there is little point in mourning his passing." The more he talked, the angrier she became. "As humans, we will all join him soon enough. If you insist on getting your swings in, you should hurry. The tunnel is complete."

Scarlett stood, clenching her fists at her sides. She had never felt so much anger towards another person before. Real or make believe. He continued speaking, but his voice only served to causing her rage to skyrocket. Behind him, demons were beginning to leave the whole. However, she paid no mind to those. Her wrath was focused solely on Sensui. A sudden sensation overtook her body. She hadn't felt it before, but without warning, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Yoko stood in front of her. Sensui seemed surprised. "Ah, so you have tapped into your psychic powers while still conscious. It would seem that you care much for the boy as well," he remarked.

Hiei and Kurama, transformed, made a mad dash towards the former Spirit Detective. "I want… his limbs," Scarlett nearly hissed. Her three clones rushed forward as well. Hiei launched his powerful arm forward, shouting out the attack.

"Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" The massive black dragon like energy shot forward, destroying the low level demons that had escaped the tunnel along the way. "We're all going to the Demon World!"

"_Hm_… That sounds good," Sensui remarked. His sacred energy covered his body, protecting him from the dangerous dragon. Still the attack did succeed in pushing him back and into the tunnel. He, along with Yoko, Kuronue, and Kuwabara, were sucked into the vortex. Her clones could not follow because that is where her barrier ended. Scarlett moved to run forward so that she could participate in Sensui's end. However, hands grabbed her shoulders, stopping her movements.

"You can't!" Koenma had been the one to stop her.

"Let me go! Yusuke-"

"I know…" Koenma murmured. His weak body collapsed. "I know." Scarlett narrowed her eyes, and then dropped down to his height. "Right now, we have to focus on any oncoming wave of demons that might come through that hole." His hazel eyes almost glared at her. "You have the ability to summon demon protectors. So let them protect."

"Fine," she agreed although she was still quite angry. Her blue eyes shifted to the tunnel. _"Please be safe—all of you," _she thought. _"I can't bear another one of you dying."_ Slowly, she looked towards the dead body of Yusuke. If he hadn't appeared so bloody, he would almost look as though he were sleeping. "Wait… Sesshomaru-sama-!"

"I cannot see the beings of the underworld. I cannot save him with the Tenseiga," the demon lord interrupted. Scarlett's shoulders slouched at the news. So… Yusuke really was dead. She bit her lip.

"I feel so useless," she muttered. "I can't do anything..."

More tears managed to fall.

0-0


	12. Chapter 12

Scarlett wiped the sweat from her brow. She hadn't moved in ten minutes, yet she was beginning to feel tired. There hadn't been any demons coming in through the hole. However, those three were still here. The young woman rubbed at her left eye, and then blinked rapidly. She was too normal for this abnormal stuff. More than anything, she wanted to sleep… and perhaps shower, too. But here she was, standing guard to a large hole that connected to Demon World. By now, the four that had entered the other world, which meant, according to Koenma, Kuwabara had cut through the kekkai barrier, whatever the heck that was.

Speaking of the Prince of Spirit World, he had been staring at Yusuke's body with an unreadable expression. Scarlett felt her eyelids lower. Honestly, she had avoided looking at the corpse of her friend. Yusuke… His death was a terrible event. She wished she hadn't seen such a thing, but she did. It made her eyes sting just thinking about it. Scarlett glanced at Koenma again. His eyes were still on Yusuke. "Koenma-sama…" she called out to him. He did not turn to face her.

"I just… can't believe he's gone," he finally murmured. For a second, Scarlett looked at the body.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Me neither…" The young woman closed her eyes and hugged her knees. She was in a sitting position, after all, facing the hole. Now she felt even more tired. Why was she suddenly so-? Her eyes snapped open, landing on the three silver-haired bored-looking protectors. "Oh God, I can't believe I didn't think about it!" Scarlett scowled a bit. "Hey!" she caught their attention. "Two of you go away. I'm wasting energy."

"_I'm_ not leaving," Inuyasha stated. Scarlett narrowed her eyes in his direction. Then she shrugged.

"Fine, Sesshomaru-sama and Yoko-sama… _uh_… You're dismissed?" Admittedly, she had no idea how to get rid of them. The two stared at her blankly, and then nodded. They turned into some type of liquid, and then evaporated. "Freaky…" she muttered. "I'd totally rather fly."

"Quit complaining," Koenma told her. However, his voice was indifferent. Still, he hadn't turned his eyes away from his former Spirit Detective's body. "Why did you send two of them away?"

"It's a waste to have all three. Besides, Inuyasha here can kill a hundred demons with one swing of his sword," Scarlett stated. The half-demon grinned, looking smug. "But I'm pretty sure his large sword compensates for something."

"Hey! I'm sick of your backhanded compliments!"

"Anyway, Koenma-sama… Maybe you should stop looking at the dead guy. It can't be healthy," Scarlett suggested.

"I'm still… I just can't-"

"Yes, I know."

"His soul hasn't popped out yet," Koenma stated. Finally, his hazel eyes found their way to Scarlett. However, her gaze focused on Yusuke's body.

"His soul…?" she repeated in a questioning matter.

"Recall that when Yusuke first died, his soul immediately came out, but now…"

"Well, if it happened before, then maybe Urameshi-san can-"

"No," Koenma interrupted Mitarai. "He's as dead as a doornail. It's just that his soul is M.I.A.…" Without warning, a large blue light shot towards the group. Mitarai questioned whether or not the light was the ghost of the dead boy. Scarlett had to stop herself from glowering in his direction. When the light faded, there stood nine people before the portal to Demon World. "They are the Spirit World Defense Force," Koenma explained. "They're the best of the best, and Spirit World's last line of defense. My father only calls upon them in the most desperate situations."

"Are they the enemy, Scarlett?" Inuyasha held his sword out, facing the group of new arrivals. "I'm still itching to fight!"

"No, no! Why don't you go away before they decide to kill you?"

"I'll remember you said that you stupid woman," Inuyasha promised before disappearing in the same fashion as his brother and the clone of Yoko. Great—now she could focus on fully recuperating. Those guys seemed to be too focused on the hole anyway. Would it be terribly rude to take a nap right now? Probably. Damn. Instead, Scarlett decided to just watch the defense force go about their duties. Three were ordered to seal up the hole. Apparently that would take a week. Good. That meant the others had plenty of time to come back. Alive—hopefully alive. Anyway, the captain—who had a very large mustache—ordered three others to go into the portal to kill anything that may come through. That was also good. That meant she didn't have to summon anything. Wow. This taskforce was thorough, wasn't it?

The rest, including the captain, finally acknowledged the other presences in the cavern. "Koenma-sama, are you alright?" The question was blatantly directed at the prince. Totally ignore the one who was covered in blood. She didn't care. Scarlett frowned, glaring at the mustache. Koenma sarcastically replied that he had bitten his tongue. His response was ignored. "Return to Spirit World at once where you can recuperate."

"I'm not going anywhere! This is my mess and I'm going to clean it up. If you think for a second that I'm going to back off without a fight… you've got another thing coming," Koenma said. The captain was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. Apparently, his words weren't liked by the Prince. "Are you threatening me now, captain?"

"Hey, goldilocks… get out of the way!" One of the other two demanded, holding his hand out. A blue light emitted from it. The blast hit Mitarai head one, causing the young teen to fly back. He came to a rolling stop. Scarlett stood up in alarm. However, a hand was pointed at her as well. She froze.

"Hey! Was that necessary?!" Koenma hotly asked. "He's just a kid!" He glanced in the woman's direction. "She's not even a part of this! Leave her be!"

"No one will stand in the way of our mission… to kill Urameshi," the captain stated.

"What…?!" Koenma and Scarlett exclaimed almost in sync. "But-" The rest of Scarlett's sentence was interrupted.

"Spirit Detective Urameshi Yusuke… He's a direct descendant of the Ma-zoku."

"You're out of your mind!" Koenma actually shouted. "That is a vile accusation, and to level it in front of his corpse? His mother may act like a monster, but his parents are human! I had an ogre do a background check!"

"True. As were his grandparent and great grandparents," the captain said. "But if you continue back much further..."

Koenma gasped in realization. "The Atavism... of the Ma-zoku," he said as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.

"Atavism…?" Scarlett murmured. She knew what that was. She also knew mazoku was another word for demon. Her blue eyes glanced back to Yusuke's body. He had demon blood in him? What did that make him? A half-demon? Wait… Now that she thought about it, Momo-chan did mention two more seasons after the Dark Tournament. Could this be one of the first? That meant… _"Yusuke might…" _Scarlett narrowed her eyes. If that were the case, then what the captain had said about 'killing' him was true. Yusuke was coming back. He was coming back to them! _"Please don't let this be false hope!" _The corners of her eyes were stinging again. She did not want to be disappointed.

A sudden shout from Mitarai brought Scarlett out of her thoughts. He went into a full rant about how Yusuke was a hero and how Spirit World should be ashamed of itself for trying to harm and disrespect him. However, the taskforce didn't seem to be listening. In fact, the same one who had attacked him before appeared behind him, shocking him into unconsciousness. "Yeah, like we're going to trust you as a good judge of character." He dragged the teen to a wall. "As far as I'm concerned, you're still an enemy to this mission."

"Get your men in check, captain," Koenma warned. "I know the severity of this situation, that's why cooler heads must prevail, and regard less of your thug's opinion... Mitarai-san has proven himself an honorable ally of my Spirit Detective outfit." He moved closer to the captain. "And as for Yusuke... If what you're saying is true, then it's my fault for missing it. We will find another solution, captain, because that is what civilized people do!"

"Forgive me." The captain, however, didn't seem to care for another solution. He placed a hand on Koenma and shocked him. He dragged the prince over to the wall as well, ignoring his complaints of how this was treason. "As a leader, I'm sure you appreciate the difficult choices I have to make," he said. "But this is in the best interest of Living World."

"You, too, little lady," the taller of the three made Scarlett snap her head back to him. His hand reached forward, preparing to give her the same treatment. "It'll be over soon." Her eyes widened as she took a step back. However, before the hand could grab onto her, the squad member's wrist was grabbed. He actually cried out as if pain. This caused many heads to turn.

"Sesshomaru-sama…!" Scarlett seemed as surprised as everyone else.

"A demon…?!" Her offender tried to pull his hand back, but the demon lord held a firm grip.

"What the hell…?" Her eyes widened in realization. "My territory is still up!" She had no clue how to take it back, and so it had remained. Only the protectors had gone away. And so when she felt as though she was in danger, one of them came back.

"Vermin…! You think you can touch her?" Sesshomaru flung the offender, causing him to crash into the wall.

"You! You can summon demons?!" The captain pointed a finger her way.

"Dude, I would rather have the power to fly. This was _not_ my choice!" Scarlett protested.

"Take care of her-" Before the captain could complete the order, one of the members caught his attention.

"Captain! Look at Urameshi! He's glowing!"

Sure enough, Yusuke was glowing red and he was floating off the ground.

"Damn, it's time!" the captain shouted. "That's not Spirit Energy he's emitting, it's Demon Energy! The resurrection has begun!" Two of the members got ready to shoot. "FIIIIRRRE!" The captain's shout was overtaken by the rumbling of the Earth. And was that a bird's call? Suddenly, the ceiling began to give away. Scarlett was immediately picked up by her demon protector. The lord jumped away to a safer distance. Out of nowhere, a giant blue bird came crashing through the ceiling of the cave. "Stop pissin' your pants and fire!" The members shook off their surprise and began shooting powerful blast towards Yusuke's body. It was too late, though. The bird's wings had covered the body. Their blasts seemed to have no effect on the bird. "Keep on firing!" The three working to seal up the hole stopped what they were doing to join in. It was no use, and the captain realized this. He fell to his knees, mumbling that he had failed his mission. Seeing their leader, looking defeated, the members of the taskforce stopped attacking.

"Man, you people sure know how to make a guy feel welcome," a voice grumbled. Scarlett gasped, hearing that familiar voice.

"Yus… Yusuke…!" she exclaimed.

"A half-breed…?" Sesshomaru slowly released the woman from his arms. The bird lifted its wings to reveal the teen. He was standing and grinning.

"We're too late... The Ma-zoku is alive!" the captain said.

"Puu! Puu!" The giant's bird's familiar chirp made Scarlett realize that it was Yusuke's Spirit Beast. And what a magnificent beast of burden it was.

_"So I was right?"_ she thought. _"Yusuke… You've come back."_ A stray tear slipped from her eye.

"Hey there, little buddy. I see you've been drinking your milk while I've been away," Yusuke said, stroking Puu's long neck. "You know even though I was dead I still heard some of what you guys were saying." His brown eyes cut to the taskforce. "So then... I'm... some kind of evil, vicious monster?" The squad backed away, fear in their eyes. "My teacher's have been saying that for years. I just thought it was a figure of speech." His body was outlined in red. Then his demon energy came bursting out of him.

"You see, Koenma-sama, how strong his Demon energy is?" the captain asked, shielding his eyes.

"No, not Yusuke," Koenma muttered.

The light suddenly died down. "Your supreme Evilness... I am your humble servant—please allow me to do whatever it is you desire," one of the SWDF member begged.

"_Eh_…?! That was a fast switch!" Scarlett remarked.

"Thanks, weakling, but for what I desire I don't need any help," Yusuke said. Scarlett returned her attention back to her friend. That grin—it, admittedly, scared her a bit. It was wicked. The boy now sported fangs. "For what I desire... is ending the world and everyone in it. For I am the mighty Ma-zoku, lord of evil!" The young woman blinked. That… didn't… sound right. "And now, after hibernating for more than a thousand years, I will finally reveal my true form!" Then the demonic teen began to laugh, very bad guy like. The taskforce started running away, tails between their legs. However, the laughter abruptly ended when Yusuke made a funny expression. "_Psych_…! Just fuckin' with ya!" He even at the nerve to snicker as the members of the taskforce fell to the ground, absolutely stunned. Brown eyes turned in the direction of his comrades. "Hey, Koenma, Scarlett... you didn't really think I'd turned bad, right?"

"Well, um… no," Koenma said.

"_Hm_… I was concerned, but then you called yourself the mighty Mazoku, lord of evil, and I knew that good ol' Yusuke was back and the same as always," Scarlett grinned as she walked over to him. She jokingly punched his arm. "You sure know how to make an entrance, Yusuke!" The teen let out another snicker. "Yusuke!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a fierce hug. "You jerk! I'll beat you up for dying like that!"

"Hey, hey, hey—that's in the past! No need to get fussy!" Still, the younger teen returned the hug. "Now, would you mind explaining to me _why the hell are you here_?!" Scarlett pulled away because of Yusuke's sudden shouting. "YOU ACTUALLY LET SENSUI BRING YOU HERE?! AND YOU GOT HURT! DO YOU KNOW HOW PISSED OFF EVERYONE WAS?! THAT'S IT! NO MORE LETTING YOU OUTTA THE HOUSE! KURAMA WILL SEE TO THAT!" Scarlett flinched.

"Shut up, you jerk!" she nearly growled. "I'm fine now! Don't yell at me!" With an '_hmph_,' Yusuke turned away, turning to the hole.

"Anyway, I better push off to Demon World. Sensui gave me a death sentence as a gift, and I'd be a jerk if I didn't return the favor," he said.

"But you can't go anywhere! You have to be quarantined," the captain said.

"You even think about stopping me and I'll bite off your head, mustache and all!" Yusuke glared, showing off his new fangs.

"I knew you couldn't hide your true character. You've transformed into a demon menace," the captain continued. He was obviously still scared witless, but he tried to put up a front.

"Look, jerk... Give me a break—it's called a running joke," Yusuke retorted. "I'm the same...'Urameshi Yusuke, fearless protector of the good stuff, with a healthy kick of nastiness and a general hate for authority.' And nothing as trivial as a violent death and a few drops of demon blood is going to keep me from helping out my friends, saving the world _and_ kicking the bad guy's ass!" Koenma sighed out and then started laughing.

"Hold on! I'm coming with you!" he said.

"But, sir…! You would be disobeying a direct order from King Yama," the captain said, grabbing onto the prince. "Besides, this hostile beast-" The mustache did not get to finish because Yusuke's foot slammed into his face.

"Pass this to King Yama for me!" the teen demanded. The poor captain fell backwards either because of the force of the kick or the force of the smell. Yusuke turned his attention to the woman. "Scarlett, don't even think about coming with us. I won't put you in harm's way. Demon World must be pretty dangerous." Hesitantly, she nodded her head. "I left that old bag of bones outside. Take Mitarai and go to her. Explain to everybody what happened in here. It should be easy because Kurama lit the way."

"I understand, Mighty Lord Mazoku!" Scarlett saluted. Yusuke gave her a grin before climbing onto his Spirit Beast's back. Koenma did the same.

"Koenma-sama, I tried to save you!" the captain called.

"You can tell King Daddy that... and that he can disown me or fire me or put me up for adoption!" The prince was obviously ecstatic about having his Spirit Detective back. He didn't care about the consequences of his actions at the moment.

"We'll come back for you soon," Yusuke murmured. "Let's go to Demon World, Puu!" The giant blue bird lifted from the ground as Scarlett quickly backed away in order not to be hit by one of Puu's mighty wings. Without another word, the Spirit Beast, the Prince of Spirit World, and the former Spirit Detective dived into the portal.

"Well, I better get to the work," Scarlett said, and then turned to leave the area. However, the captain's voice made her halt.

"You're not going anywhere!" he shouted. "Get her! She's too dangerous for a human!"

"I wouldn't advise doing that," she replied, nonchalantly. Sesshomaru appeared behind her. "This demon is classified in the high A-class." Really, she had no way of knowing if that was the truth. It wasn't like they could call her bluff.

"You can summon A-class demons?!"

"Hordes," she continued with a nod of her head. "Should I summon an S-class?"

"No!" one of the subordinating members squeaked.

"Well then… Bye," Scarlett waved. Her demon protector narrowed his eyes at the nine members of the Spirit World Defense Force, daring them to try to follow. Satisfied that they were nearly pissing themselves, he turned and calmly followed after Scarlett. "Ne, Sesshomaru-sama, was that a little too much?" she asked. She stood over Mitarai's body and frowned. "_Haah_… I don't even know how this sudden power of mine works."

"For now, concentrate on the way." Sesshomaru lifted the boy's arm before slinging the unconscious teen's body over his shoulder. "There will be time to understand your summoning abilities later," he answered. Scarlett nodded her head.

0-0

Thanks to the speed of her demonic protector, Scarlett made it to the entrance of the cave in half the time it would take it she had walked. Before she had stepped out, she ordered her protector away. She had not wanted to alarm the people that were waiting for the Spirit Detectives. Fortunately, Mitarai wasn't as heavy as she first thought. Botan had immediately questioned her, demanding to know why she was in the cave in the first place. Predictably, Scarlett waved off her questions. She then did as she was told to do. Genkai had seemed to know that her student had died, and then be reborn. She hadn't given much of a reaction, but Botan definitely cheered _loudly_ when she stated that Yusuke was alive and well.

Almost a full two hours had passed since she had ended the explanation, and the group of five was still waiting. During the first hour, Genkai had taught her out to retract her territory. She still hadn't gotten the hang of it. Scarlett was afraid of bugs, almost had a phobia of them. Each time one flew by, her territory would come back up. This was the reason she was inside the truck with the windows rolled up. Everyone else were scattered about the front of the entrance.

Scarlett lied down on the truck's seat. Her feet were propped against the window. The cold glass against her foot—where had her shoe gone, anyway?—helped to cool her down. It sure was hot in this truck. Her fingers were intertwined and used as a pillow for her head. The young woman blinked, staring up at the ceiling of the vehicle. She wasn't the only one in the truck. In the back, there was the still unconscious Mitarai and a small child. She had asked about the sleeping kid. Genkai had promptly told her he had died. Botan then hastily explained that Koenma had saved the child. So he wasn't _really_ dead, just sleeping. Apparently, Kurama had no choice but to end the kid's life. The guy must have been pretty shaken up about it. But the kid was alive now. When the group finally made their way back, he didn't have to have a child's death on his conscious.

"_This is taking forever…"_ Scarlett thought. God, did she ever stink. That was probably another reason she was forced to stay in the truck. Why was it taking so long? Was it possible that Yusuke still couldn't win against Sensui? What if all of them were dead? Scarlett sat up, lifting her left knee. No. That couldn't be. All of them were still alive. After all, it took quite a bit of time to make it through the cave. And if they were only walking, it would take longer. No doubt some of them were injured, too. If that was the case, then it was no wonder why they were taking so long. "Yeah… They're still-" A squeal from Botan caused Scarlett to snap her head in her direction. Her pink eyes, though, were focused on the entrance of the cave. The young woman diverted her attention as well. Her chin dropped.

Five familiar people were leaving the cave. Hiei, unconscious, was being carried by Kuwabara. Surely he would throw a fit if he found out. Kurama was using Kuronue as a crutch. He was still in the form of his alter ego. However, his eyes were the vibrant green she had been used to seeing with red hair. And in the middle, there was… some guy with long spiky hair and strange markings on his body. Upon closing inspection, Scarlett realized that it was her favorite little delinquent. "Yusuke!" she exclaimed, opening the truck's door. She nearly tripped and fell in her haste to get to the group. "What the hell happened to you?" she questioned. The group stopped in front of her while the teen with the gelled up hair commented he looked similar to Beast Spear.

"It's a long story—you've got to _pay up_ first!"

"_Ha_! I'm not giving you money! _I'm_ the writer here!"

"I'm afraid our usual banter will have to wait," Yusuke continued. His head turned, eyes glancing back at the cave.

"It appears not everyone feels this case is resolved," Kurama commented.

The members of the Spirit World Defense Force stood at the entrance to the cave. "Koenma-sama… You know Spirit World won't overlook this treason," the captain spoke. Kuwabara exclaimed in protest. "You have disobeyed my orders… delivered directly from your father to erase that boy. You've let the Ma-zoku emerge, fully knowing what that could bring. You'll take responsibility and come with us."

"I'm no fool," Koenma replied. "I realized what the consequences would be."

Yusuke fully turned to face the taskforce. "Listen up," he said. The captain actually yelped out a response. "I don't usually pick fights with people I _know_ I can beat. But if someone brings the fight to me, then I have no problem beating the shit out of them." His fists clenched at his sides. "Koenma did the right thing, and you douche bags have no right to hassle him. As for me… I dare you, _try_ messing with me." His expression hardened into a fierce glare. "I'll fuckin' _obliterate_ you."

To say that his threat didn't freak out the captain was an understatement. Without a word, he and his men disappeared into the cave. They probably still had to seal up the hole. His squad seemed to be equally scared and relieved that they didn't pick a fight with the descendant of an S-class demon.

"Sorry. Was that too much?" Yusuke asked.

"Do you even know what obliterate means?" Scarlett questioned. Her seemingly innocent inquiry was met with a half-hearted glare from the younger teen. "Anyway, the sun's coming out." Her statement caused heads to turn to the rising sun.

"I've missed the sun," Yusuke murmured. "Matter of fact, I think I'll find a hammock." The group began to head away from Demon's Door. Kuwabara asked if his friend, and rival, was going to keep the rocker look.

"Hell, I don't know," he replied with a shrug.

0-0

"Don't bother me, I'm showering!" Scarlett announced.

"You definitely need it," Yusuke remarked. The older teen flipped the demonic human off before disappearing down the hall. The six had just entered Kurama's home. Hiei was still unconscious, and so Kuwabara dropped him off in Kurama's room before coming back. Kuronue, with a heavy sigh, plopped down next to his best friend on the couch. The fights of the group were all here. Koenma, Botan, and Genkai went to the old woman's temple. The prince probably could return home at the moment for 'disobeying daddy.' The reason the two younger teens did not go home was because Yusuke needed his hair cut. Kuwabara only wanted to stick around. That train ride home had been an awkward one. People _stared_. The group did look like a punch of misfits, after all. All of them were covered in blood and bruises. One of the members was unconscious. They definitely seemed like delinquents. It was a good thing Kurama reverted back to his human form or that just would have bee a major problem. Surely someone would have alerted the police if they had rode the train any longer.

"Kuwabara, could you bring the scissors from the kitchen please, and one of the chairs from the dining room?" Kurama asked. The tall teen had yet to sit down.

"Sure, no problem."

"Scissors…? You're going to cut my hair with _scissors_? That's going to take awhile," Yusuke frowned.

"Would you rather I use my Rose Whip? I am quite efficient at using that," Kurama inquired. The teen quickly shook his head. "I thought so." Kuwabara came back with the item. The red head stood, telling Yusuke to sit in the chair. He quickly went to work, snipping away at the younger teen's sudden growth of hair. Fifteen minutes later, he was only half way done. Yusuke and Kuwabara had drifted off to sleep. Kuronue did as well. They didn't think to turn on the television to ease their boredom. Boredom mixed with exhaustion—it was no wonder they had fallen asleep so quickly. Sensui had done a number on all of them. Kurama's eyes narrowed as he continued cutting. Everyone, including Scarlett, had been brutally beaten because of that man.

He would have liked to kill him—and anyone that intentionally sided with him. What had happened to Scarlett was unforgivable. And the only reason he did not kill Itsuki, when he reemerged to take Sensui's corpse, is because he had healed his houseguest. Why had he healed the young woman…? Because he had been intrigued by her was his answer. That didn't put his mind at ease. Kurama glanced back without turning his head. Speaking of his houseguest, she was making her way over. "So they fell asleep, did they?" The question seemed more directed at herself as though she were merely observing. She walked around him and faced the sleeping hybrid. "Should I draw on his face?" Her blue eyes turned to him. Kurama only chuckled. Scarlett smiled and stood up straight. As per usual, her sleeping garments were composed up sweatpants and a dark tank top. She no longer smelled of dirt, blood, and sweat. Instead, it was the sweet smell of her body wash and shampoo. Her hair was still a bit damp. Although her open injuries had been healed, there were still quite a number of bruises. Her arms were covered in them. This observation made Kurama frown. Scarlett didn't seem to notice. "Want some help? I'm sure you're tired, too."

"That would be nice," he commented. "There are another pair of scissors in my room—the first desk drawer." Scarlett nodded and scurried off to grab them. Moments later, she appeared in front of him again. "Is Hiei still…?"

"Yeah, completely knocked out," Scarlett answered, beginning to cut some of the hair. "He didn't even flinch when I gave him a purple nurple." At his furrowed brow, she explained. "I twisted his nipple."

"I don't think Hiei would have liked that very much."

"Nope, and I'm pretty sure he won't like what he sees when he looks in a mirror either," she retorted with a grin. Kurama shook his head and smiled small. It was nice to know that Scarlett was the same as ever. Having gone through that horrendous ordeal by herself—she truly was strong. If she had been born a demon, surely she would be among the upper A-class as he was. The two worked in silence. There were only a few '_Ooh_, you think he's going to notice that?' from Scarlett. Otherwise, it was quiet in the house. Kuwabara wasn't even snoring at the moment. It was still too early for deep sleep. At last, Kurama snipped off the last bit. Scarlett ruffled the boy's hair. "Good as new," she remarked. "Well, except for these markings."

"They appear as though they're fading," Kurama said. "At this rate, they should be gone by nightfall."

"Oh right… It's only morning, isn't it?" Scarlett mumbled. She squatted down again, picking up an armful of hair. "I'm probably going to sleep anyway after I throw this out." She began to walk away. "See you later."

Kurama watched her go until she was out of sight. His gaze settled on the floor. There was still much hair to throw away. He picked up the rest of the long strands. The rest of the hair would need to be swept. As he went about cleaning up the sudden mess, his thoughts eventually drifted back to his female houseguest. This was quite the problem he found himself in. She had no idea what his intentions were towards her. Chances were she had completely forgotten what he had done to her prior to his leaving. With how things were at the moment, springing the news on her would not result in his favor. Then again, going through with it and having her find about it later didn't seem too good either. Surely, Scarlett would become upset.

Admittedly, he wasn't sure how to approach this. These circumstances were quite different than normal. It was an impulsive act on his part. It wasn't like him to _impulsively_ react, especially to such an important occurrence. For a moment, Kurama closed his eyes, recalling the life-changing moment between Scarlett and himself.

_Are you going to apologize for attempting?_

_I will not… In fact, _this_ is only the beginning._

His shoulders slumped as the memory crossed his mind. What was he thinking in that moment? _Had_ he been thinking? Whatever the case, he had initiated the beginning of _courtship_ with the young woman. Courting was a serious matter in Demon World. In fact, there were very little success rates when it came to courting. Even fewer successful mating rates. Generally, demons went about creating offspring with no feelings involved—except lust, maybe. That wasn't to say this was different. At the moment, Kurama knew that he didn't _love_ Scarlett—not necessarily—not at this point, which is why he intended to court her. To see where it would lead. This was the first time a woman had appeared in front of him that he considered as a potential mate. _"And a human, no less,"_ he thought. Although Kurama never thought about courtship—not even in his former life—mating with a human was surprising. If and when he told the others of his intentions, they would be surprised as well. Well, not Botan—she wouldn't be surprised at all. Apparently, she was rooting for a relationship to occur ever since Scarlett had kissed him.

Kurama's eyes shot open. A hot feeling settled right under his eyes. He blinked several times. That memory still caused such a reaction? A chuckle burst from his lips. Such aggression—maybe she _should_ have been born a demon. Or maybe she was also a descendant of a demon. At this point, he should expect more unpredictable things happening. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he focused on the reality. Scarlett was human. Normally, courtships amongst demons took years—decades even. Her lifespan was naturally shorter, and so the courtship would need to be faster. If the courtship succeeded, then mating would follow soon after. Then, and only then, would her lifespan extend. Kurama shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself. There was no guarantee that the courtship would succeed. During this time, it could come to light that neither of them would feel love towards one another. _"If that happens… she must-"_ His thought was abruptly cut off by a bloodcurdling scream.

The broom and dustpan dropped from his hand, scattering the hair onto the kitchen floor. Scarlett. Immediately, he ran from the kitchen into his houseguest's room. The door was open. The others had already entered. They were standing around her bed. Scarlett was still screaming, hands gripping the cover as if it was a lifeline. Yusuke shook her shoulders, trying to wake her. However, she continued to scream as though she was going through some horrendous torture. "Someone shut her up before my ears begin to bleed," Hiei growled, holding a hand to his right ear.

"She _won't_ wake up!" Yusuke was clearly frustrated. "Someone's going to call the po-"

Kurama shoved the younger teen out of the way and pulled Scarlett from the bed. Still, she kept screaming. He laid her down on the floor, and then quickly pinched both of her earlobes. The screaming instantly stopped. The young woman sprang up, mouth and eyes open. Sweat covered her skin. She screamed again, and then punched the person closest to her. Kurama grunted as Scarlett jumped up, running towards the door. "Catch her…!" Kurama ordered. "She's not in her right mind!" At his command, Yusuke quickly moved. He slammed the door shut before the older teen could escape. When she moved to punch him, he merely dodged and got behind her. His strong arms wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms against her own body. Expectedly, she thrashed about, trying to kick her comrades.

"Would you calm the hell down?!" Yusuke shouted in her ear. "It's _us_!" Scarlett froze before going almost completely limp. The young woman panted heavily, but she no longer put up a fight. "What the hell…?"

"I believe she had a night terror," Kurama explained, walking over. Yusuke obliged in handing her over. The red head carried her to the bed. Still, she panted. "Usually, children have them, but it can happen to adults.

"What are you talking about?" Kuwabara asked. Instead of answering, Kurama watched and waited until his houseguest's breathing returned to normal. Slowly, her eyes cracked open. She blinked once, looked about the room, and then blinked again.

"Why are you guys in my room?" she asked. As expected, her voice was hoarse. Scarlett placed a hand on her neck. "Was I singing…?"

"You have a night terror," Kuronue stated. "I'm sure you woke up half the neighborhood with your screaming."

"Why am I having night terrors at my age?" Scarlett muttered. She ran a hand through her hair. "… Well, I'm fine now, so you guys can go about your day now." Hiei growled and left the room. Kuwabara and Yusuke exchanged frowns. They, too, left the room. Kuronue shrugged and left as well. Kurama, however, stayed by her side. "What? I'm fine."

"Night terrors, in adults, happen because of emotional stress," he told her. "This sudden episode is the result of your encounter with-"

"I know," she interrupted. Her head bowed as he knees came up. The hand that was in her hair was now clutching quite hard. "I know," she repeated. Her voice and shoulders had trembled. Kurama's nose twitched. Tears. He couldn't see her face, but there were tears. Scarlett was… crying. As if he didn't know how to approach her already. He reached a hand to her. "Don't!" She sniffled and lifted her head. "Don't." Kurama swallowed and curled in his fingers. Scarlett hastily wiped her face. A wry grin appeared. "You must think… I'm pretty pathetic, _huh_?" she asked. Her blue eyes turned away from him. "I'm supposed to be some awesome fighter, and yet I get my butt kicked… and then I have a night terror because of it?" She sniffed again, wiping under her nose. Her arms hugged her raised knees. "And on top of that-" She swallowed hard. "-I have the ability to summon others to _protect_ me. I'm so pathetic. I bet I'm afraid to fight now."

Kurama could hardly believe what he was seeing. A strong person like Scarlett reduced to crying and trembling—it had seemed unreal. However… Admittedly, there was a part of him that was relieved. Not only did he see a softer side, but she had only shown him… alone. The red head dropped to his knees beside the bed. "Scarlett," he murmured. She did not look his way. Instead, she only shut her eyes. "You are neither pathetic nor weak. What you went through was brutal. It's not uncommon to feel the way you do, especially since you haven't had to fight seriously before." Slowly her eyelids opened. She was listening. "Of course, there was that school bully, but you did not have to fight for your life against him. My guess is that he went down easy." Scarlett pressed her lips together. "The person who did this to you was on a completely different level with time and experience on his side. A parasite by the name of Toguro was using that man's body and he so viciously attack you."

"I tried to fight a demon…? Just great," Scarlett groaned, straightening her legs.

"You know of Toguro?"

"Yes. The Dark Tournament was kinda televised."

"I see." For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Kurama placed a hand on her left knee. She finally locked her gaze with his. "You are _not_ weak. It is not only physical strength that makes one strong. There is nothing wrong having someone else protect you." Scarlett frowned and shifted her head. Kurama mirrored her expression before grabbing her chin with his index finger and thumb. He forced her to look at him again. "Particularly if someone _wants_ to protect you."

"Ku… rama," Scarlett said his name in a soft voice. His eyes widen a bit. Why did she have to go and whisper his name like that? Swallowing, Kurama stood up and took back his hand. Questioning blue eyes looked up at him. The red head only turned.

"You should rest," he told her. "Although you shouldn't have another night terror, I will check on your sleeping patterns periodically. I'll figure out a way to relieve your stress so that it won't happen again."

"All right," Scarlett mumbled. He heard her shift her body. Kurama glanced back. She was under the covers with her back to him. Inaudibly he sighed, and then left the room. He met Hiei in the hallway. The fire apparition leaned against the wall, arms crossed and frown on his face. His body language was normal, but something was different. Besides the childish drawings on his face, anyway. Stifling a chuckle, Kurama moved to get pass him. However, the stoic voice of his friend caused him to stop.

"You _know_ she doesn't belong here," Hiei said. "Just what are you expecting, Kurama? You're the one who told us that it was best not to form an attachment." The red head closed his eyes. A small smile appeared.

"And yet each and every one of us ignored my advice."

"_Hn_." Hiei closed his eyes as well. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, of course." Kurama chuckled.

0-0


	13. Chapter 13

Scarlett Tate slowly opened her eyes. Her sight was blurry, yet she stared up at the ceiling for a full minute, not moving. Actually, she couldn't move. Her arms seemed to be bound at her sides. Also, her legs felt stiff and together. Come to think of it, this was a strange position to wake up in. Usually, she lied flat on her stomach or on her side with one of the pillows between her legs while the other was used as a huggable teddy bear. She blinked once. Then she attempted to lift her torso. It was a hard thing to accomplish because there seemed to be a weight on her stomach. Instead, she lifted her head. She blinked again. A pool of red hair lay on her stomach, accompanied by its master's cheek.

"K-Kurama...?" Her voice was hoarse again. Scarlett relaxed, dropping her head back to the pillow. She must have had another night terror. That would explain why her legs were tied. Sighing, she turned her head towards the adjacent end table. The alarm clock read 6:11. Apparently, it was of evening hours, too. For a moment, she only lied there, staring at the green glowing numbers. Suddenly, her expression transformed into a scowl. _"I have to pee,"_ she thought. Her eyes shifted back to the ceiling. How was she going to get out of this? She could not move anything except her head. Why was she even in this position, anyway? Her thrashing couldn't have been _that_ bad, right? _"Damn... Well, I'm not a nice person, anyway, so..."_ Scarlett opened her mouth, inhaling quite a bit. She then released the carbon dioxide along with a piercing scream.

Of course the loud noise caused the red head to immediately awaken. He sprung up in the chair he was sitting in. His green eyes frantically looked around for a source. The scream was abruptly cut off. His head snapped in her direction. "Scarlett...? Why are you screaming _on purpose_?" he questioned, seemingly irritated. Well, she was irritated, too. Damn it.

"Can you _please_ explain to me why I am _trapped_ like this?" she nearly hissed. He had the nerve to produce a surprised expression. Then he sighed.

"You had several more night terrors," Kurama stated. "You had to be restrained. Your last one was-" He looked towards the clock. "-four hours ago. I'm afraid your stress needs to be relieved now even if you're not up to it." He touched her bindings. They—apparently were plants—turned a glowing green before returning to their seed forms. Scarlett was quick to jump up and sprint to the bathroom. The slamming of the door caused Kurama to flinch. Fortunately, they were the only two in the house at the moment. Yusuke and Kuwabara had gone home. Hiei and Kuronue decided to leave as well. Most did not give a reason, yet it was quite clear they were annoyed with all the screaming Scarlett had done because of the night terrors.

With a heavy sigh, Kurama stood up. It didn't make sense for his houseguest to experiences multiple night terrors like this. Had her experience with Elder Toguro really affected her to such an extent? Night terrors tied in with emotional stress, and fear was a major emotion that went along with that. However, that wasn't the only emotion involved. Emotional stress could be a number of things. As that was the case, there could be something else, other than her tangle with death, which was causing the emotional stress thus triggering the night terrors.

The red head narrowed his eyes. "But what could it be?" he murmured. It was safe to say that he knew his houseguest fairly well, behavioral-wise. He probably could predict her reactions easily as they had been in close proximity for quite some time. Still, he realized that she did not share herself often. Chances were Scarlett wouldn't willingly tell if she was bothered by something—not without prying. Prying could very well lead to anger. That was something that he did not want. He had seen Scarlett angry, and it was not entirely pleasant. Kurama slid a hand through his red mane. Either way, he would have to know so that this occurrence did not take place again.

Kurama walked towards the bathroom. By this time, he heard the shower running. Of course, Scarlett was covered in sweat. His own hair was a bit damp from lying on her stomach. It was natural that she wanted to shower. He knocked on the door. As she wasn't in the shower yet, his houseguest opened the door. She appeared disgruntled. "Yes...?" Her voice asked through clenched teeth. Kurama almost chuckled. More than likely, she was upset because her daily routine had been disrupted. When Kuronue first moved in, he could almost feel killer intent radiating from her eyes because best friends' conversations lasted through the night.

"After you're finished, please get dressed. I would like to take you somewhere," Kurama stated. Scarlett leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "Is there a reason why you're body language is telling me that you're skeptic?"

"After all the trouble I've caused, you want to _reward_ me?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand. What do you mean by trouble?"

"You know—letting the bad guy convince me to go with him, causing a delay in reaching the bad guy, getting beat up, having a lot of you worry, and drawing on Hiei's face... That kinda trouble," Scarlett explained.

"You are no burden," Kurama said. "And this isn't a reward. It's for all our sakes. Now please, hurry." With a sigh, Scarlett averted her eyes.

"I got it," she replied before closing the door.

Scarlett sighed inaudibly as to not have the red head overhear it. She listened to his departing footsteps until the sound of her door closing was heard. Her eyes closed as she pressed her back against the bathroom door. She slid down to the floor. Disgust. She felt so disgusting right now, and it wasn't just because of the sweat drenched clothes, clinging to her body. Several night terrors in a short amount of time…? It must have broken some kind of record. That thought, alone made her want to smack herself senseless. Scarlett frowned, feeling her shoulders slouch. This was truly pathetic of her—wallowing in self-pity.

She opened her eyes. There wasn't a doubt that her night terrors were getting to the others as well. After all, Kurama had told her that relieving her emotional stress was something everyone would benefit from. Scarlett nodded her head. She needed to get over this—shake the feeling from her mind and body. If not for herself, then, at least, for the others. The young woman stood up, and then removed her tank top. _"I don't want to piss anyone off because of something like this," _she thought, slipping out of her sweatpants. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Stepping closer, she examined herself. She sighed through her nose. Kuwabara had told her, when she came to, that Itsuki had healed her. That is why she didn't have any cuts. However, apparently, it wasn't enough to heal the ugly bruises. There was a large one on her back. She winced at the unwanted memory. Gourmet, or Toguro, had ruthlessly kicked her, and as a result, she back slammed against a heightened part of the dirt floor. The bruise probably wouldn't go away for awhile.

Turning away from the mirror, Scarlett sighed again. She would have to make sure to be careful if she chose to exercise tomorrow. There was no use in causing additional pain to her body. Her eyes stared at the running water for a moment. Kurama had said that he wanted to take her somewhere to relieve this stress. _Hm_… She wondered what place he thought of. Well, she supposed the destination didn't matter as long as it succeeded in driving away her night terrors. Shrugging, forced a grin on her face. "I shouldn't keep him waiting long!" she said, and then removed her underwear.

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"Kurama, I could kiss you on the mouth!"

"Pardon...?" His voice almost squeaked out. However, Scarlett's attention wasn't focused on him at all. Most likely, she had spoken out loud due to her excitement. Kurama inaudibly sighed. His houseguest was merely overjoyed with the place he had taken her to. That was it. Still, the thought of Scarlett kissing him again was rather... appealing. The red head cleared his throat before guiding her into the building. "Yes, Kuronue told me that you had frequently come here. Also, I remember you telling me that singing is a drug to you." He smiled when her cheeks gained a pinkish hue. "Fortunately, _this_ type of drug isn't at all harmful to your body." The young woman grinned and enthusiastically nodded her head. Kurama had to stop her from going to the stage. "For right now, let us order something to eat. I am sure you are hungry?"

"Yeah, actually, I am," Scarlett agreed. She sat at a table a few rows back from the small stage. There weren't many people, sitting at the tables set up near the stage. Most were at the bar, drinking or sleeping. Others were having 'conversations' in the darkest corners of the bar. Scarlett didn't seem to mind or care for anyone else at the moment. Her eyes gazed, longingly, at the microphone. Kurama sat down across from her with a smile on his face. She really did have strong enthusiasm for it.

"When did you start?" Her blue eyes turned his way. "Singing, I mean."

"Oh... I guess when I much younger," Scarlett answered. She focused on the table's top, yet it appeared as though she was remembering something. Her tiny smile wasn't lost to Kurama's eyes. "My dad used to sing a lot. He was a theatre kid in high school. He would sing about anything and everything... even in public places. It embarrassed the heck out of my mom, but she often told him that his public performances were endearing to her." A sigh escaped her mouth. "It was really fun going to the store with him, no matter how many funny looks we got."

"I see... You were very close with your father?" Kurama inquired. Scarlett's smile widened ever so slightly. She nodded her head.

"We were a pair. Not only did we look alike, but we also behaved in the same manner."

"Haughty and arrogant?" he teased. Her eyebrows shot up, and then a smirk spread.

"Now, now, Kurama, I might hit you!" Scarlett mockingly threatened.

"But you're not denying it, I see," Kurama replied. The young woman opened her mouth to retort. However, she quickly closed it in favor of pushing her lips outward in a pout, signaling that she had accepted defeat. This only caused the red head to chuckle. Scarlett smiled and joined in. "If I may ask, did you follow in his footsteps?"

"No, not really. I stuck to literature instead of theatre," she replied. "Besides, I can't act. Apparently, my actions are too _dramatic_!" She used air quotes and rolled her eyes. Kurama almost rolled his own eyes. His houseguest was only confirming her egotistical nature. Still, he didn't mind it. He smiled. It wasn't as though he wasn't already used to this type of behavior. Being on a team with three other arrogant people, he knew exactly what to expect. Kurama opened his mouth, about to ask her another question. However, he was interrupted before he started.

"Scarlett-san!" A male, around the age of seventeen, walked over to their table. He had spiky black hair and grey eyes. His excited grin revealed that he had a dimple in his left cheek. "It's been awhile. Haven't seen you in a long time!" Scarlett stood up with a grin of her own. "Getting into trouble?"

"What? No, never!" she responded. The teen rolled his eyes. "Anyway, this is Shuichi-kun." Scarlett gestured towards him. The teen blinked as if he just realized she was sitting with someone. He appeared apologetic as he bowed his head. Kurama raised a brow, yet returned the greeting. "And this is Himekawa Densuke-san. He's the bar owner's youngest son. He works part-time here."

"Pleasure to meet another friend of Scarlett-san," Densuke commented.

"Another...?" Kurama repeated.

"He's talking about Kuronue," Scarlett explained. "Up until Kuwabara-kun's birthday party, I visited this place a lot. Me and him would talk a bit." Her blue eyes turned back to Densuke. "Anyway, I'll have the usual." She _winked_ at him. Kurama's eyebrow twitched just a bit. The teen flushing didn't help either. He jotted her order down on his notepad before shifting his gaze to Kurama.

"And for you?"

"I suppose... I'll have the same."

"Oh, make his without kimchi then!" Scarlett exclaimed. "Shuichi-kun isn't really a fan of spicy stuff."

"Got it," Densuke stated, writing it down. "I'll be out with water within a few minutes." He walked away, waving to Scarlett as he did.

"... What did I just order?" Kurama asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't worry—it's only cheese and shrimp okonomiyaki." Scarlett licked her lips and wiggled her eyebrows. "Their Japanese pancakes are _so_ good! You won't be disappointed." Kurama cleared his throat in an effort to shift the attention away from his cheeks, which were probably pink at the moment. He had stared at her lips for far too long. He wondered why it was getting increasingly hard to control himself in the presence of Scarlett. The young woman suddenly sighed out. "I didn't realize how hungry I am until I started thinking about it." She placed a hand on her stomach. "My stomach's anticipation is going to kill me!" She suddenly blinked. "Oh yeah—I meant to ask. Why did Itsuki heal me even though I could be considered his enemy?" Her sleeve was pulled up. Frowning, she stared down at the bruises on her arm. "Well, he didn't really do a good job, but I want to know why he attempted to heal me. Do you happen to know?"

"... Yes, in fact, I do. And I wanted to talk to you about that as well," Kurama stated. Scarlett's eyebrows knitted together. However, before he could further explain, Densuke came back with the two glasses full of water. The young woman hurriedly pulled down her sleeve. Densuke didn't seem to notice. He gave Scarlett her glass first, and then placed his water in front of him. Other than that, his eyes were focused solely on Scarlett. This made Kurama frown. The young woman, though, only looked his way even when the teen tried to strike up a conversation. This made him feel a bit better. Finally, Scarlett clicked her tongue and shifted her eyes away. Her smile was polite.

"Densuke-san, please, not right now," she told the waiter. "Could you just go away?" Although her smile was polite, her words were far from it. Kurama would have chuckled if the teen didn't seem so crestfallen about it. He nodded, and then slowly walked away. Once he was gone from her sight, Scarlett returned her focus back to him. She raised her eyebrows, wanting him to continue.

"Are you good friends with him?" he, instead, asked. Her lip twitched. Clearly, she was not amused by his change of subjects. Admittedly, he was a bit amused. "He seems to like you quite a bit."

"A good friend to me would be Kuwabara-kun. I don't talk to Densuke-kun all that much, so I wouldn't consider him my good friend—more like an associate," she stated. _Aww_... Poor Himekawa Densuke. The poor fool didn't stand a chance with a woman like Scarlett, especially if she didn't think of him as a friend. Kurama's eyelids lowered a bit. It would appear that his houseguest was dense when it came to affection from the opposite gender. With that being the case, he would most likely have to take a direct approach with her. "Anyway," she sounded annoyed. "Go on, what did you want to talk about with me? Itsuki gave you an answer?" Subconsciously, she leaned forward, arms folded on the table. Kurama did the same.

"Yes, he did. He told us that the reason he healed you is because he had become intrigued," he stated. "He didn't go into detail about why, so perhaps you could fill in the blanks?"

"He healed me because I intrigued him...?" Scarlett muttered. She tapped her chin twice. "He said he could sense that I wasn't from this world," she went on. "With his powers over dimensional portals, he could tell that I was transported. But he couldn't tell where I had come from or who or what brought me here. He told me I was a mystery, so maybe that's why he was intrigued. Though, that doesn't explain why he healed me." She leaned back in her chair, shoulders slouched. "How mysterious!" Sighing out, the young woman crossed her arms again. "I'm getting tired just thinking of what his motivations could have been."

"Clearly this subject is causing you irritation. Perhaps we should switch topics?" Kurama suggested. Scarlett nodded her head and leaned forward again. "Have you decided what you are going to sing when the time comes?" Instantly, her face lit up with delight.

"I haven't decided yet, but definitely want to rock out," she grinned. "Maybe I'll sing _two_ songs!" She literally wiggled in place and squealed. It suddenly occurred to Kurama that this was his first time seeing this side of her. Playful, yes, but never genuinely excited in this manner. Briefly, he wondered if he was the only one to see most, if not all, sides of her. It was a selfish, yet comforting thought. "_Hm_? What?" Kurama blinked. Scarlett smirked. "You were staring really hard just now."

"Forgive me," he chuckled. "Could it be that I am jealous?"

"Jealous...? _You_?"

"Yes..." His eyes closed for a moment. "You see, I do not have such a hobby that brings about euphoric feelings."

"_Eh_? What about reading?"

"As enjoyable as it is—knowledge is power, after all—I'm afraid I do not experience feelings of extreme excitement from doing so," Kurama admitted.

"Oh... That is such a shame," Scarlett remarked. "I had it in my head that you liked dancing in the moonlight or something." Kurama nearly choked, causing his houseguest to snicker. "Nothing is too sacred for fangirls... or fanboys." She had the nerve to wink. At his slightly sour expression, Scarlett began to laugh again. Gradually, her giggles faded. "Come on, there must be _something_."

"I must not have reached that something quite yet."

"What about as Yoko?" She narrowed her eyes a bit. "I bet he dipped into all three of the ninja's deadly sins."

Ninja...?

"_Ah_—I suppose stealing held quite the sensation," Kurama murmured. "But I have reformed since then." Scarlett nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, I assume you have a long life ahead of you, so surely you'll find something," she closed her eyes, grinning. "But I'm special! _No one_ feels the way I do when I do my hobby."

"I can't wait to see." The flush she took on was clear to his eyes even with the dimmed lights. Then their orders were placed in front of them, and the blush vanished. Clearly she was hungry by the way her eyes gleamed upon seeing the okonomiyaki in front of her. Fortunately, she had the decency to not drool as well. Kurama mentally chuckled as Scarlett hurriedly reached for chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!" Her eyes shifted to him. She bit her lower, appearing embarrassed. "Sorry—go ahead." Kurama nodded, and then performed the same actions as she had done. He took a bite. Scarlett anticipated his reaction. "Good, right?"

"_Hm_—it's delicious," Kurama agreed.

"Right?" Scarlett cracked a grin before she began eating.

They continued to speak with one another as they ate. During this time, Scarlett couldn't help but notice Kurama's ever-present gaze. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, knowing his eyes were glued to her body. But she was a bit self-conscious. There was no reason to maintain eye contact, right? Never before did she notice how truly green his eyes were. They reminded her of an open field. There was more than one shade of green in his eyes. Despite the view, she felt herself flushing under his steady look. She really hoped that there wasn't food stuck in her teeth. Who knew how many times she smiled during their conversations. Scarlett mentally pouted, wishing she knew what was going through his head as he stared at her.

Scarlett suddenly coughed out. The water she had drunk had gone down the wrong way. Even as she nearly died to clear her airway, she couldn't help but think how ridiculous she must have looked. Oh God—was snot coming out her nostrils? She could feel some type of liquid there. Tears squeezed out of her eyes, too. This was too horrible. A hand found its way on hers. Immediately, her coughing fit ceased. Embarrassed, she met his eyes. "Are you alright now?" he asked.

"Despite the extra eyes on me because of the life or death ordeal, I'm good," Scarlett answered. She pressed her lips into a thin line, feeling his thumb continue to caress the skin on her hand. "So-" She cleared her throat once again, just to make sure she could breathe properly. "Are you finished?"

"Yes, and you were right. It was great," Kurama answered. "I-"

"Scarlett-san, are you okay?!" Densuke's frantic voice interrupted whatever her host was going to say. Scarlett turned to see him coming, slipping her hand from underneath Kurama's. "Can I get you anything? How about-"

"No, I'm fine!" Scarlett replied. "Crisis has been averted." She could have sworn he was at the back. How did he even notice? "But since you're here, how about you announce me?" Her eyes twinkled with glee. Densuke grinned and laughed.

"You are the only one who sings when it's not the night," he remarked. "But I'll go do that for you now since I like you so much!" His cheeks gained a pink tinge, but he quickly turned and began walking towards the stage. Scarlett thought nothing of it as she shifted her attention back to Kurama. However, his eyes were narrowed in Densuke's direction. She blinked in confusion. That wasn't an expression that she had even seen on his face. He must have sensed her eyes on him because he began speaking without removing his sharp gaze from the bar owner's son.

"Have you decided what you are singing?" he questioned.

"_Uh_..." This was certainly strange. She actually felt uneasy now, but she couldn't explain why. "I guess. You'll cheer me on, right?" At last, his attention returned. He smiled and nodded. Scarlett almost sighed out. This made her feel less ill at ease and more relaxed. She heard her name, causing her to stand. As she moved towards the stage, she glided her hand across his shoulders. Not sure why she did it, she continued on until she stood beside Densuke, who wished her luck before handing her the microphone. _"Luck...? Who cares about the audience?"_ she thought. _"This is f__or me__."_Her eyes slowly opened. A familiar beat entered her head. The song had been stuck in her head for quite some time now. It was time to release it. She breathed out slowly, and then started.

Come feel my aching heart... about to break

The gentle wind that blows...

Fills the air with peacefulness

We're standing face to face

Hand in hand

And then the evening twilight drapes its arms around us

And it melts away~!

Scarlett closed her eyes as she went on. This felt so good. It wasn't long before she was fully into herself, ignoring everything around. This was only a warm up, though. She hadn't used her voice like this in quite some time. This first song was very much needed. It was like a catalyst in some way. The events of the past were brought to her mind's eye. Her butt being thoroughly beaten... Her father... Yusuke's death... Scarlett leisurely opened her eyes. _"Kurama..."_ Her mind whispered. He was staring right at her with such an unreadable expression. _Ba-bump._ Her hand reached up, touching her chest, where under her skin, her heart resided. It had skipped. Well, that's what it had felt like.

So now I draw the line

To live another journey

Cause even though we've been here together

We're still different people

But we're not alone...

The corner of his lips suddenly tugged upward. That small smile had such an effect on her. Scarlett shut her eyes again. Many of the things he did had an effect on her. She knew why, too. Wasn't it odd? More than likely, she had known all along, yet subconsciously refused to acknowledge it. Most likely, her nature was irritating to those around her, but she tended to ignore things out of her control. Her father had been right. What she did was just another barrier to prevent others from getting too close. However... Scarlett felt herself blushing. _"I want to remove my defenses this time."_

As her song came to a close, Kurama realized that even though her voice was nothing extraordinary, her singing did serve as a reliever. Scarlett truly was a unique woman. It was no wonder he couldn't compare her to any of the other women in his life. His smile widened a bit. Once finished with the song, Scarlett bowed. This caused clapping from the audience. She didn't seem to notice that her audience had expanded as she sang until she was done. The grin spread on her face as she extended two fingers in the air—a victory sign. _"I suppose that's fairly accurate," _Kurama thought. As she sang, her body had almost completely relaxed. It was as if he had been watching her reach a state of her own clarification.

The young woman spoke into the microphone, telling her 'adoring fans' that she would perform again. She gripped the microphone with both hands. Kurama could see that she had a habit of closing her eyes before the beginning of her performance. He chuckled. He wondered if she realized. Her voice came out. She had decided to sing in English. Unlike last time, her voice was a bit deeper and slower—almost... sensual. Then it became higher pitched. Not too high, but high enough for him to realize that a woman was the owner of the song. As if the 'queen' part of lyrics wasn't a giveaway already. Kurama blinked. Suddenly, Scarlett's eyes snapped towards him. Even with the microphone in front of her mouth, he could see the smile.

Let me be your labor of love~

My royal garden needs a hired man

Plant your seed, darling

My roses are in your hand!

His cheeks grew warmer. He blinked. What that directed at him? Kurama swallowed, feeling his mouth go dry. It couldn't be. It was only a song. Yes, she had outstretched a hand towards his general direction. But there were other people who had shuffled over, even in their drunken state, to see the singing foreigner. The young woman did have incredible stage presence despite the fact that her voice wasn't as great as others and she was singing in English. Even now, her eyes had closed again as she went into the chorus. Besides, Scarlett did not know that he could speak and understand English. That was not a fact he had divulged. Kurama narrowed his eyes. For a fleeting moment, his attention shifted away from his houseguest. The teen, Densuke, had returned.

"She's... really something," he breathed out. He had already been charmed by the ignorant woman. "Say... Are you and Scarlett-san... dating by any chance?" Kurama succeeded in keeping the scowl from his face. Still, his eyes were on Scarlett. She seemed none the wiser of this conversation.

"We are not together, no," he answered. Densuke breathed a sigh of relief. However, before he could go any further, Kurama continued. "But I must say that I have decided to pursue her seriously. I would appreciate it if you were to stop your efforts at gaining her heart. You will not succeed." Out of the corner of his eye, he observed that the teen's expression had turned into a glower.

"Isn't that a little much?" he asked, trying to keep the snarl out of his tone. "Scarlett-san wouldn't settle for a girly looking man, don't you think?" Despite the implication, Kurama remained as calm as ever.

"It would be in your best interest to find another woman," he advised. Densuke scoffed, yet said nothing else. The teen walked away just as Scarlett was finishing her little show. She bowed several times to her clapping audience, and then returned the microphone to its proper place before nearly leaping from the stage. The woman quickly made her way over to him. She sat down, panting and grinning. Her eyes were on him as if she was expecting something. "You were right," he stated.

"Right... about what?" she asked, wiping the sweat that slid down the side of her face.

"You indeed have a passion for singing, and it clearly is your drug," Kurama explained. Scarlett smiled brightly. "However, it is not something to be too proud of."

"Jeez, what a nice backhanded compliment," she put on a sour expression. It did not last long. Scarlett did not take his teasing to heart. "I feel great now! I'm fired up!"

"That was quite a song choice," Kurama commented. She gave an almost timid smile.

"So you know English well, do you?" she questioned. Then she laughed a bit. "Yeah, despite the chorus sounding as though she wants to become a pedophile, I love her voice. The lead singer's in a rock band, but she has soul." Scarlett grinned again. "Maybe I'll sing a Japanese rock song when you bring me back here!" Kurama blinked several times at the bold remark, and then he smiled.

"Yes, I am looking forward to that," he said.

"So I'm pretty sure I got all that stress out. Should we leave or-" she stopped for a moment, turning her gaze beyond her host. Kurama did not have to turn to know that two people were moving towards their table. One of them was angry. "Densuke-san...?" So he had returned, did he? And with help, too. The red head almost clicked his tongue in annoyance. Things had been going well before he learned of Densuke's existence. Now, it seemed as though they couldn't walk away without trouble. Perhaps he had been too harsh with his words before? Jealousy was not something he had experienced in the past. It was almost silly of him to behave in that way.

"Scarlett-san." It had not been Densuke who had greeted the young woman. The person's voice seemed much deeper than the teen's. Finally, Kurama turned his head. Densuke was there, but there was a larger person by his side. The two shared resemblance. However, the larger man was clearly older. "There seems to be a bit of a problem here."

"Really? Is it because I jumped off the stage again? I swear I won't do it again!"

"That's what you said the last _five_ times," the man stated. Scarlett chuckled nervously. "But that really isn't a problem _if_ you avoid the cords." His brown eyes sharply turned to Kurama. "The problem is your friend here."

"Shuichi-kun...?"

"If I may, what is the problem?" Kurama asked. He stood up. Scarlett hastily did the same. Could she sense the hostility as well? "If I have done something wrong, I apologize." He bowed his head. "And I assure you that it will not happen again."

"You're right. It won't happen again because you are not allow inside my bar ever again, Shuichi-san."

"What?!" Scarlett was not happy about this. "Why, Himekawa-san? What did he do?"

"He is a danger to my son, and I don't appreciate that." The man crossed his arms. "You, Scarlett-san, do not have to go, but _he_ does." Her teeth grind together. This explanation was not good enough. Kurama said it was fine and moved to leave. But it wasn't fine. She grabbed his wrist, keeping her eyes on the owner of the bar.

"Tell me what he did that's so dangerous to Densuke-san," Scarlett demanded. "If you can't give me a clear justification as to why you're putting Shuichi out, I will do something you will regret."

"Scarlett..." Kurama's tone was warning, but she decided to ignore it. The older man stared her down, hoping that his fierce look would win. It would not. Hiei was much more terrifying than this mere human. At last, the man scoffed.

"You are a brave woman, Scarlett-san," he said. "That being said, bravery could be mistaken with stupidity, wouldn't you agree?" The young woman did not keep the glare from her face. "My family does like you, so do not do something that will destroy our image of you." He stepped closer. "Also, I would advise you not to get too close this weak man. He wouldn't be able to protect you." He whispered this as if Kurama wouldn't be able to hear it. "Men of the Himekawa family are built strong and tough, you know."

Scarlett actually started laughing. Abruptly, it came to an end. She threw aside her host's hand, focusing a glare on the man. He, wisely, chose to take several steps back. "You think I need to be protected by someone who's _weaker_ than me?" she nearly hissed. "If there's one thing I can't stand it is to be looked at as something fragile that needs protection. I thought that is what irked me for the longest time. However, I realize that it is those who judge my strength based on appearance alone." She smirked. "Himekawa-san, your family is built strong, huh? Sorry for speaking this out loud, but you wouldn't stand three minutes with me and even less time if it were Shuichi. You shouldn't mouth off about things you aren't sure about."

"Y-You-" He seemed quite flustered.

"You don't have to worry about him coming back either," Scarlett continued. "_We_ won't be returning to such an unfair business establishment."

"Sca-Scarlett-san...!" Densuke stood in front of her, preventing her from leaving quickly like she wanted to.

"I despise men who cause unnecessary problems." This one sentence made the teen freeze, allowing her time to take Kurama's wrist and leave. She stopped just at the entrance. "Oh right... You didn't explain to me why you were kicking him out. I said I'd make you regret it, didn't I?" She lifted a chair with her free hand. Then she randomly threw it into open space. Densuke and his father were confused. Hell, she was sure everyone was confused at the moment. Seconds later, a fight broke out, and then it turned into a full out bar brawl. "Have fun with that!" Scarlett waved goodbye as she made her exit. The sounds of punching and yelling made her smile. The sounds did a wonderful job at satisfying and quelling her anger. How dare they treat Kurama in that way? They deserve all the damage they were going to have to pay for. _"Mess with me, will they?!"_

"Scarlett was that really necessary? We could have left peacefully," Kurama's voice snapped her out of her musings. She stopped, and then released his hand. A soft sigh came from her mouth.

"Not only did they insult me, but they also insulted you," Scarlett stated. "I couldn't control myself at that moment. It won't happen in the future, though." She turned to face him. Her breath almost caught in her throat. Kurama was standing so close to her. She blinked twice as she swallowed the saliva in her mouth. "_Hm_? What?"

"Unnecessary as it might have been, I am grateful," he said. Scarlett backed away a bit, nodding her head. The red head licked his lips. Blue eyes averted to the ground. "Since you have allowed me to see where you unwind, would you like to see where I used to relax when I was young?"

"You had to relax?"

"It is quite frustrating to socialize with elementary school children with the mind of a centuries old fox demon."

"_Ah_—quite right," Scarlett agreed. "Okay, show me your place of relaxation."

0-0

"I was skeptic at first, but this place is pretty cool," Scarlett admitted. She lied down and closed her eyes. Breathing in deeply, she smiled. "It's quite refreshing here." Her arms stretched up before they were used as cushions for her head. Her blue eyes stared up at the night sky. "It's peaceful and beautiful here." Kurama had taken her to this place, just behind his home. Perhaps that wasn't an accurate statement. In actuality, there was a relatively small forest behind his house. It was that forest and this clearing which separated his home from the nearby park. However, no one knew of this place beside himself and his mother. And now, Scarlett knew of it as well.

Kurama sat down beside her. The two weren't exactly in the clearing. They were at the outer edge of the forest, where a row of cherry blossoms were planted. The soles of Scarlett's shoes were propped up against the base of one of the trees. Oppositely, his back was against the bark; one knee was raised. After glancing at the young woman for a moment, Kurama tilted his head back, gazing at the swaying pink petals. The night wind wasn't strong enough to blow them away. "Often I would come here to... get away and practice regaining my demonic abilities," he stated. Scarlett did not reply, and so he continued. "Once, my mother found me here. Fortunately, I was merely meditating on a branch when she spotted me among the cherry blossoms."

"Were you upset that your secret place was discovered?"

"I suppose, in a way, I was," Kurama confessed. "I believe I caused my mother great stress because I had viewed her as more of a nuisance than a mother."

"I know the feeling," Scarlett whispered. Her eyes shut. "After my father died, I dealt with the grief by closing myself off, throwing myself into writing. I would stay in my room for hours, barely remembering to eat. My mom tried to interact with me, but I shut her away, too, honestly thinking she wouldn't understand. I thought what she was doing was annoying. I felt that fantasy was more comforting than reality, and it was my escape. It took two years for me to realize that I was hurting my mom. She needed comfort and escape just as much as I did, and yet she did not have a place she could escape to. I wonder if she saw me as a horrible child for those two years of silence between us."

"Most parents love their children unconditionally," Kurama responded. "A behavior change does not stop this love." A soft sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes opened and a small smile appeared.

"I know... so don't go beating yourself up over the past either." The red head blinked, not covering his look of surprise. Scarlett grinned, showing her teeth. "Don't look _too_ shocked by my brilliance! It's like an insult or something!" Kurama let out a chuckle.

"Forgive me," he said. "You made me feel as though you needed to be reassured, and yet your intention was to make me feel better. You are... quite amazing." The grin didn't leave her face. Most likely her ego had been boosted quite considerably.

"Everyone's amazing," Scarlett commented. "The trait doesn't come out until that person is around someone equally amazing, if not more."

"Do I amaze you, Scarlett?"

"As much as catnip to a cat, Kurama."

There it was again. The undeniable feeling flooding through his veins—only Scarlett was able to make him feel this. It was something akin to ice and fire. Strange combination, he knew, but that is honestly what he felt around this woman. And she seemed none the wiser. For such an intelligent being, she was also quite dense, concerning matters of the heart. If she had felt something for him—other than friendship—as well, it was quite possible that she would have ignored it or did not understand it, which would result in her forgetting about it entirely. As he thought previously, a candid approach in this pursuit would be wise.

Scarlett suddenly let out a wistful sigh. She didn't say anything, but he had an idea of why her sigh sounded so pensive. "I am sorry," Kurama murmured. She looked his way. "Your place of relaxation was taken from you because of my... behavior towards that employee." Her gaze lingered for quite awhile before she slowly blinked.

"It's okay," she said. "But you don't have to apologize. I'm the one that became angry. It's my fault. Besides, I didn't need that place. I can sing anytime I want to. I'll just use a brush or something."

"You can sing for me anytime," Kurama smiled.

"No taking back what you said!" Grinning, she closed her eyes again. "And anyway, I'm a writer by nature. Writing is also a de-stressor for me. It feels like I haven't written anything in awhile." The wind picked up, blowing strands of her dark hair around. This also caused flower petals to dance and swarm about. Once the wind dissipated, several petals landed on the young woman's face. Underneath her eyelid, her eye moved back and forth, feeling the slight weight of the pink petal.

"Here, allow me," Kurama leaned forward, reaching out to remove the petal from her eye. Scarlett smiled, yet kept her eyes shut. He mirrored her smile and continued to casually take the petals from her face. His fingertips lightly caressed her visage. She wore such a peaceful face—as though she trusted him completely. Kurama rested his palm against her soft cheek. He blinked, and then smirked. She must have 'borrowed' his things again. "There are some in your hair as well," he told her.

"Leave them," Scarlett replied. She turned her head a bit. Her lips grazed the side of his thumb, causing his eyes to widen. "You probably just want an excuse to run your fingers through my freshly washed hair anyway." At her comment, Kurama's face reddened and slowly removed his hand from her cheek. Scarlett didn't seem to care for his reaction. She was so unpredictable at times. "_Hm_... The moon's so bright here," Scarlett remarked. "Though, I've never really looked at it before. The sky's not really clear where I come from. When Momo-chan and I ate on top of the roof of my apartment, she would complain about it a lot, saying that she would rather look at the sky from her grandfather's farm."

"Momo... chan?"

"Oh, sorry, you wouldn't know who she is," she laughed a bit. "She's a friend from my high school days. She's the reason that I even came to know of this world." She suddenly smirked. "Hiei was her favorite for some strange reason. I can't remember why, though. Probably his eyes—all three of them. She was such a weird girl." _Ah_ yes... He had almost forgotten. Scarlett was not of this world... or dimension. She had family and friends other than Yusuke and the others. Kurama lowered his eyelids.

"Do you... miss your home?" he questioned, trying to keep the hint of worry from his tone. Moments passed, and yet the young woman did not answer. "Scarlett...?"

"... Yeah, I guess I do," she murmured. Kurama felt like his core was constricting. "But... if I had a choice, then I would most likely choose this place." Scarlett didn't see the relieved expression that crossed her host's face because she closed her eyes. "I don't know, but it felt like... I was always the odd one out. Not because I was a foreigner, but there was something else. Here, I don't feel that. Like the friendships I've gained here mean more than anything to me." The young woman sighed and opened her eyes. "But I don't suppose Koenma-sama's daddy is going to let me stay here just because of that. Maybe I should give a friendship speech. You think that would cause him to crumple in tears?"

"I highly doubt that," Kurama chuckled. Scarlett poked her bottom lip out. "However, if you were to have a... physical attachment to this place, perhaps you could stay." The young woman sat up, blinking. Their stares locked. "If I had to choose... I wouldn't want you to disappear from my side either." His words could be taken one of two ways. She could take it as him not wanting her to choose her side—her world—over his. Or she could take it as he intended. Judging from her widened eyes and her parted lips, Scarlett had taken the latter. Her cheeks were flushed as well. Her eyes averted for a second.

"What do you... propose?" she asked. "You said physical, but I'm pretty sure chaining myself to something isn't going to work."

"Chaining yourself to _someone_, however, could and _would_ work quite well," Kurama said. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He paused before continuing. "Do you remember what happened before I left—before Sensui came for you?" He could literally see her sifting through her memories by the way her eyes moved. Finally, a small gasp came forth. "I see that you do." Scarlett turned her eyes to her left wrist. Then, her blue gaze drifted back to stare into his eyes. "I suppose my actions caused quite a bit of strife for you?" Scarlett nodded her head once. "Then allow me to explain now. I realize that you do not know the ways of demons, and yet I have repeatedly behaved in a way that implied that you did. That is unfair to you." Both of her knees rose and she wrapped her arms around her folded legs. She was genuinely interested in what he was about to say. "Frankly speaking, what I did means that I intend to court you. And will continue to do that as the courtship goes on."

"... You demons sure are weird," Scarlett muttered. Kurama sweated. Trust her to respond in such a way. "So explain this demon courting thing. What happens when it's clear that both parties know what the intention is?"

"The intention of courtship can either be denied or accepted. If denied, the courtship does not start. If accepted, the other is allowing the courtship to begin. In accepting the intention, this allows for intimate touching between the two, including licking closer to the neck," Kurama stated. "Eventually, this leads to the next stage—the stage before mating." Scarlett tilted her head. "If the courtship is successful, the mating ritual will soon follow. If that is successful, an unbreakable bond forms between the two."

"_Hm_... This sounds like a pretty big deal especially since you keep saying _if_ in your explanation," the young woman voiced her opinion.

"Yes, it is quite a critical affair," Kurama said. "Demons do not feel in the same way as humans. Love is almost nonexistent. Of course, there is attraction and lust, but love rarely happens between two demons."

"And in order for official mating to happen, there must be love?"

"That is correct, otherwise, the unbreakable bond does not form. That is why there are very low percentages of successful mating," he answered. His eyes narrowed. "Although I impulsively acted with the intention of courting, I _do_ wish to court you." Even under the faint light of the moon and stars, the reddening of her cheeks was fairly visible.

"With such low possible chances of success, is it really worth going through all that?" Scarlett asked. "Do you think you can love me?"

"I believe at the moment what I feel for you is not friendship. I cannot be sure if what I feel is equivalent to love, but if you accept, we can find out together."

0-0


	14. Chapter 14

_I cannot be sure what I feel is equivalent to love, but if you accept, we can find out together._

Scarlett breathed out slowly, trying in vain go to the land of dreams. Unfortunately for her, sleep wasn't coming easy this time around. Frowning, the young woman stared up at the white ceiling. She had been doing so, attempting to count the number of small tiles. It was an attempt because she had gotten bored of the task soon after reaching two hundred and three. Now, she just lied there, inaudibly sighing. She wondered what the problem was. Well, actually she did know what the problem was, but she didn't quite understand why it was so hard to come up with a solution. Scarlett finally shut her eyes. Nearly four hours later, and she still couldn't get that sentence out of her head.

Scowling, Scarlett tossed the covers from her body, and then moved to get out of bed. According to the glowing numbers of her alarm clock, it was two minutes before three… in the morning. She sighed again and began pacing. The room was spacious enough for such an activity. Okay. She needed to think critically about this. One—what was the problem? The problem was her host's proposition. Two—why was it a problem? Scarlett bit her thumbnail, not quite piercing the nail plate. She closed her eyes again as she paced. Admittedly, she was… concerned about it. Sure, she had admitted to herself that she did, indeed, _like_ Kurama. There was no denying that anymore. Even though she did not know exactly when she had come to have feelings, more than friendship, towards him, but she did know that the feelings were there. Still… Again, that one sentence echoed in her mind.

As flattered as she was, what Kurama had suggested was _more_. More than was she expected, anyway. And serious, too. It was because of that that she was having trouble with this affair. This would be her very first _official_ relationship. On top of that, it wasn't something to be played with. On average, most first time relationships didn't last. There were a few that did, but it was still few. However, if this certain relationship didn't work out, the effects seemed direr. First of all, one of them could end up loving—actually hopelessly fall in love with—the other, but the feelings aren't reciprocated. That would be both awkward and troublesome to deal with. Second, if the courting went accordingly, but the mating didn't, were the two involved just supposed to forget about the intimate touches? Scarlett had full confidence that she wouldn't. Until this day, she could not forget about the kiss she had shared with the red head upon her arrival.

Then there was the fact if the whole thing didn't work out, more than likely she would be sent back to her own world. Scarlett's eyelids lowered. Out of everything that could happen, that is what she didn't want the most. To leave everyone behind—the very thought made her feel dread. Yusuke, Kuwabara-kun, Kuronue, even Hiei—she didn't want to be separated from them. Kurama, too, of course. Their friendship had started rocky, but gradually it began to feel important as well. She didn't want to lose that.

Once again, Scarlett sighed. She removed her small appendage from her mouth. Her pacing didn't stop, though. Three—how was the problem going to be solved? At the moment, she didn't have a solution. Well, she technically had _two_ solutions. It was either yes or no. Simple, yet complicated at the same time. It was just she couldn't choose one of the solutions. Both had pros and cons that seemed to be pretty much equal. But if she sat around and chose nothing… Scarlett sighed again, but not loudly. _"If I choose nothing I would most likely leave this place anyway,"_ she thought. The young woman's expression suddenly became flat. _"Now that I think about it… it feels like I've been forced into a corner…"_ That fox—did he know this was going to happen? Did he realize that her only option would be to choose to accept his offer? He was smart enough to see that she would come to the conclusion that benefited him. That led Scarlett to believe that her gracious host wanted the courtship to happen quite badly. _"If so, how far do your feelings for me go already, Shuichi-kun?"_

At last, her pacing came to a halt. An eyebrow twitched. Oh no. She was starting to become irritated as her thoughts of the red head continued to run through her mind. Was this what they called being manipulated? That pissed her off a bit. And what was with that whole courting thing, anyway? Scarlett had a nagging feeling that Kurama hadn't told her everything about it. Even if he had, she couldn't be sure she liked the sound of it very much. Glowering, her pacing resumed. What was _wrong_ with her?

Her host wanted to court her, and she was thinking negatively about it. She supposed that it was in her nature to feel conflicted about it. After all, it seemed that he was in control of _when_ to advance to the next stage of demon courtship. If she accepted, that is. Scarlett crossed her arms. Her legs were beginning to ache. However, she ignored that for now. She didn't like this. The lack of information about the whole thing made it hard to do pretty much anything. Her lips pressed hard against one another. She probably shouldn't have hastily changed the subject to the whereabouts of Kuronue. It was probably her fault that she didn't have extensive knowledge on the subject. Pretty much after that, there was silence. Scarlett sighed yet again. It had been an uncomfortable walk back to the house.

Scarlett snorted. Then she dropped her arms and stopped her pacing. Thinking critically wasn't exactly getting her anywhere not without more information, at least. Four—if the problem cannot be solved quickly, what had to happen as a result? Well, that was an easy question to answer. She knew exactly what to do now, and if it worked out, she could, at _least_, get some sleep. Nodding her head in determination, Scarlett swiveled on the balls of her feet and headed over to the bathroom door. The door was opened, and she quickly made her way across the bathroom, which connected to Kurama's room as well.

Kuronue was her target. He may not have been the best source, concerning the information she sought, but a source was still a source. She just had to quietly kidnap the demon from Kurama's room without alerting the red head of her exploit. Scarlett smirked, just thinking about it. It was going to be totally epic. She silently opened the other door and peered inside the dark room. To her disappointment, Kuronue was not curled up at the foot of the bed in his usual sleeping position. Hunching her shoulders, she opened the door completely. _"How does he manage to ruin my mood when he's not even here?" _Scarlett thought as she tip-toed further into the room. She slowly closed the door behind her. Oh well… She would rather not, but she could still get the information she wanted.

She stood over him at the side of his bed. He didn't move. Scarlett found her lip twitching. He could sleep just _fine_, couldn't he? Again, she snorted. Still, her host didn't move. The young woman furrowed her brow. She didn't think that Kurama was a deep sleeper. Her upper body hovered over him. "Shu… Kurama, are you awake?" What a silly question to ask, seeing as though it was quite obvious he wasn't. In her defense, she believed that he would wake up upon hearing her voice. That was not the case. The red continued to slumber peacefully, unaware of the intruder in his room. _"He wouldn't stand a chance against his rabid fangirls." _Rolling her eyes, Scarlett climbed on top of the bed and on top of her host. She was straddling his midsection, and yet he only groaned a bit and turned his head. _"Wouldn't stand a chance at all… No wonder he's usually portrayed as the bottom bitch."_

Despite Kurama looking so defenseless, Scarlett lifted her arm in preparation of slapping him. Her body tensed, and then she sharply brought her arm down. "Please refrain from doing that." Mere centimeters away from his right cheek, her palm halted. She blinked, watching his eyes slowly open. There was mild annoyance in his expression. Scarlett's lips twitched. She tried hard to keep from snickering.

"So you were awake?" she asked.

"Honestly, I was curious as to what you would do in order to wake me. Because you chose a physical method, am I correct in assuming that you are irritated due to the fact that you haven't gotten much sleep?"

"…"

"So I am right then," Kurama stated.

"_Smug bastard,"_ Scarlett thought, crossing her arms. "So if you know all that, then you know why I'm here?" she asked out loud.

"Information," he answered correctly. Scarlett stiffly nodded her head. "Well then…" Kurama sat up, and then twisted his body. His right hand reached to pull the small lamp's switch, which caused his room to be lit. The light was small, but it did its job in allowing Scarlett to clearly see the guy. His green eyes refocused on her. "Well…?" She waited a moment before lifting her right leg and removing herself from Kurama's body. Like an eager student, she sat on her legs, hands on her knees, facing her sensei.

"I want to know more about demon courtship please," Scarlett told him. He stared back at her for what seemed like a full minute. She bit the inside her mouth, wondering why he wasn't saying anything. "I mean," she finally murmured. "What exactly happens during the courtship? When and how does it lead to the mating ritual?" At last, he moved—and took his eyes off of her—pushing his bedspread from his legs.

"I see," he said. An eyebrow twitched as Scarlett curled her fingers into fists. What was with his aloof attitude? This whole matter dealt with him, _too_. Kurama casually scooted back until his back was pressed against his headboard. His sat cross-legged. "Firstly," he began. "Should the partner accept the courtship, the tongue is used again. What humans call the median basilic vein is the target." Scarlett opened her mouth to ask a question, but Kurama seemed to foresee what she was going to ask. "As you know, there are many demons with many different body structures. However, those who do not have a humanoid shape are generally apart of the lower classes. These creatures rely _solely_ on instincts, which are killing, eating, and surviving. The process of mating is not meant for them."

"_Ah_."

"As I stated before, once the courtship official begins, intimate touching is involved. However, that is not all there is to courting amongst demons. Performance is the key to a successful courtship," Kurama explained. Scarlett blinked, repeating the subject. "Yes, performance… Depending on how impressive the performance is, the partner will be more inclined to accept advancing to the next stage, which is mating. There are a variety of ways in which a demon can impress the other in courtship, showing off power and fighting abilities is the most popular way of gaining further interest. Dancing is also another way."

"_Dancing_?" Scarlett repeated incredulously. Kurama smiled lightly.

"Fundamentally, fighting and dancing are the same thing," he said. After blinking, the young woman nodded her head in agreement. "The movement is what matters. If the performance impresses, then…" He trailed off, averting his eyes for a moment. Scarlett called his name. Kurama returned his gaze to her, feeling his face grow a bit warmer. "Do you recall when you licked my face?" he asked. His guest gave an affirmative answer. "Well, what transpired before that seemed as if you were courting me. That is why I had believed you to be—at least slightly—knowledgeable about official courtship. It was difficult to come to terms that it was just a coincidence."

"Why?"

"Because it seemed that you had picked up on the nonverbal cues that I was impressed," Kurama clarified. "I subconsciously showed that I had been impressed, and right after that you had licked my face."

"_Oooh_," Scarlett tapped her chin, thoughtfully, looking up. "I was seducing you without even knowing it." Her eyes suddenly shifted back down. "Wait a minute… As a woman, _I_ can court _you_?"

"The traditional roles of male and female, that you know, are not the same in Demon world," Kurama stated. "Rather, they are blurred. It is of very little importance as to who initiates courtship." Her eyes, expectedly, lit up at the news. The red head mentally chuckled.

"That's totally awesome… but why isn't courting generally successful?" she asked. The smile dropped from Kurama's face. "I mean, I can see if a performance does nothing for the other, but-" She stopped herself. "Oh, right… Love has to happen."

"Precisely."

"How do they know if it's love or not?"

"… By the blood that is consumed."

"… Come again? Did you say _blood_?"

Kurama clasped his hands together in his lap. He had been a bit wary about telling her about this. No matter how aggressive she was, that didn't change the fact that she was still human. The concept might be disturbing and or disgusting to her. "Yes. Blood. I didn't mention it before, but when I said the tongue is used again, I meant to lick the blood _from_ the vein," he said. "Not only does this connect the two, but it causes a near uncontrollable urge to skip everything and… give in to the feelings of lust, ignoring love altogether. If this happens at the most crucial time, the blood from another no longer reacts in one's body because it is not love. The courtship ends."

"Whoa… This is serious," Scarlett remarked. She suddenly smirked. Kurama's eyes widen. He hadn't been expecting that reaction. "What do you mean by 'crucial,' though?" The humane demon cleared his throat.

"When the… sexual desires are at its peak," Kurama answered. Her eyebrows rose as he eyes expanded. "When it's hardest to control the urge, I mean. If that urge can be overcome, official mating shall occur."

"And… is there a chance something will go wrong with that?" Scarlett questioned.

"In the midst of…" He trailed off again, not knowing how to phrase without seeming perverted or offensive. Fortunately, his guest was no sensitive person and graciously filled in the blank.

"Getting it in?" she suggested. Kurama held back a smile, feeling an oncoming blush. He had almost forgotten how unafraid this woman was when it came to speaking her mind.

"… Y-Yes," he answered. "In the midst of that, one could forget to mark the other, letting others know it is official."

"_Ah_," she nodded. "I guess it is pretty distracting." Her gaze turned to the bed. She lightly squeezed her lower lip between her index finger and thumb. A soft sigh was released as she closed her eyes. "So I'm guessing that the one who initiates the courtship is the one who does the marking? What marking are you talking about, anyway?"

"I say marking, but it's really an exchange as the mark fades overtime," Kurama explained. "It is the scent of another inside of the mate's body that shows the status."

"You demons are damn weird," Scarlett opened her eyes. "_Hm_…" She stretched her neck, shifting her focus to the ceiling. "_Hm_…" She sucked her teeth. "_Hm_…" At last, her eyes returned to him. Without feeling the least bit hesitant, she smiled. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Pardon?" Admittedly, he didn't think she would sound so nonchalant about the situation.

"Oh… _um_… I formally accept your intention to court me," Scarlett clarified, though she didn't need to.

"Are you sure this is-"

"Hey, should you really be questioning me at this point? You're the one who felt the need to lead me into courtship in the first place."

"I don't want you to feel as though I'm forcing you."

"Too late for that," Scarlett grinned despite the meaning in her words. "I've gotten pass that, and I'm not upset, so obviously I'll accept." She placed her palms on the bed and slowly crawled towards him. Her nose was very close to his. Kurama swallowed hard. Of course. Scarlett cared not for proximity. "So are you going to do it or are we going to have to wait until later hours?"

"Scarlett, has anyone ever told you that you could be a demon?" Kurama asked. She blinked twice.

"Why, of _course_! That bully I took out said I was a demon in disguise with demonic strength. He was very scared of me," she answered. Both shared a light laugh. At last, she pulled away, sitting back down on her legs. Scarlett smiled. It was her smile that eased his mind. She wanted this. He wanted this. It was because of her that he was willing to take a step that he never thought he would.

"May I have your arm?" Kurama held out his hand. She nodded, and then extended said body part. Seeing as how Scarlett usually wore tank tops and sweatpants to bed, it wasn't necessary to remove any clothing. His free hand reached up to pluck a seed from his hair. Scarlett looked as though she was holding back a giggle. "You never know when this comes in handy."

"Better safe than sorry," she agreed with a grin. "But why are you pulling that out now?"

"I'm afraid I do not have fangs or claws to pierce your skin and cause your blood to spill," he replied, lowering his eyes to her bulging vein. Carefully, he placed the sharpest end of the seed against her skin. "This will have to do." Slowly an incision was made, causing Scarlett to wince. Her blood seeped through the opening. Quickly, Kurama set the seed down. He closed his eyes, and then slid his lips up her arm, starting from her wrist. Upon reaching the sliding drops of blood, his tongue came out to taste the red fluid. She gasped involuntarily, and then released shuddering breaths. A shiver went through his body as he continued to lick. His teeth lightly grazed her skin as he did. Finally, he reached the open flesh.

"Ku… Kurama," Scarlett whimpered out. He could feel her begin to pull away. However, he kept a firm grip on her arm. This part was important. At first, he wasn't going to give her his own blood. She was human. She, in theory, wouldn't have the same effects that her blood would have in himself. But now… he _wanted_ to. Biting his lip, Kurama drew his own blood. It was much easier to gauge _his_ pain than to inflict unnecessary pain on Scarlett. His blood mingled with hers. "_Ah_!" To his surprise, she cried out. Kurama reared his head back, looking up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I…" Her eyes were squeezed shut. She lowered her chin and swallowed. "It felt like… electrifying." Kurama furrowed his brow at her answer. His green eyes shifted down to her skin. It had stopped bleeding. Most likely, the mark would remain for a few days. He didn't think she would feel something from their blood mixing. However, that could have been a mere coincidence. Further observation would be necessary before he could assume that the process actually did affect humans. Without warning, Scarlett threw her arms around his torso. Stunned, Kurama could only sit there, almost frozen. "It's done, right?" she murmured. Her chin rested on his shoulder. "So I can do this?" For several moments, he didn't answer. Then he smiled.

"Of course," he said, returning the embrace.

Having his arms around her, Scarlett couldn't be more satisfied. She was reminded of the time when they first encountered. She shut her eyes. Back then, he smelled like nature. She had been closed to him then. But now it felt as though she was closer because his scent was slightly different. He still smelled of an environment unaffected by human activity, but there was something _more_. Scarlett, for the life of her, couldn't put her finger on it. She had never smelt anything like it before. Whatever it was, it was pleasing to her senses.

Not only that, but he was physically stronger than she had imagined. In his strong, yet gentle embrace, she felt more secure than she ever had. Scarlett tilted her head, lightly touching her mouth and nose to the side of his neck. His body tensed, yet relaxed only seconds later. Kurama released a heavy sigh. His hand stopped moving up and down her back. "As I thought," he whispered. Scarlett slowly opened her eyes. "This isn't enough."

Quicker than what she could recall she found her back on the bed. If she had been any less flexible, she would have been in pain. Her legs were still in the same position that they had been. "Wha-" Her confusion was quickly silenced because her lips were practically crushed under his. Her body was much too shocked at his actions to counteract. His hands slid down the sides of her body. He pulled her legs from under her and wrapped them around him, never once releasing his hold on her lips. Scarlett turned her head, but he only shifted it back with one hand, grunting in annoyance. This was unlike Kurama. Luckily for her, her arms hadn't been pinned. She placed her palms against his cheeks. She actually felt his body twitch in surprise when her tongue brushed against his lips. Hastily, he opened his mouth. This gave Scarlett her window of opportunity. She bit down on his lip.

For several seconds, the two did not move. Finally, Scarlett rested her head on the bed as she opened her eyes. The male on top of her sat up, pressing his fingertips to his lips. Blood ran down his chin. At last, his golden eyes narrowed down her at. "You knew," he stated.

"Of course I did… Yoko-sama," she answered, holding back the hiss she had wanted to convey. She folded her arms over her chest and returned the glare. "I do wish you wouldn't randomly switch with the person who's courting me. It's going to a pain in the future."

"How can you like him and not me?" Yoko questioned. "We're one in the same."

"Keep telling yourself that," Scarlett replied flatly. The golden-eyed Kurama frowned. The movement caused more blood to be produced from the wound that her incisor made. Droplets fell from his chin and landed on her gray tank top. "Hey, get off me. You're making a mess." To her suspicion, Yoko smirked. She didn't like the looks of it. He lowered his upper body, placing his hands on either side of Scarlett's head. She didn't look happy about it either. "I'm not happy about this."

"_Heh_." Yoko didn't seem to care. "I don't care." Sighing, Scarlett unfolded her arms. "Scar, please heal me like you did before. I'm in urgent need."

"You're _going_ to be in urgent need if you don't get off me."

"Such unnecessary hatred," Yoko remarked. His index finger traced her jaw line. Then he rubbed his thumb against her bottom lip. Scarlett mentally smirked. He was underestimating her again. Quickly, she jerked her body to the side, taking the golden-eyed red head with her. He landed on the floor with the offender on top. She gave a mocking smile. Yoko merely blinked at the position reversal. Really, he couldn't understand how the human woman conquered such a feat. Twice. "You-"

"Please," Scarlett interrupted. "Don't mistake hostility for hatred, Yoko-sama. I only remembered what happened last time and acted accordingly. But I don't _hate_ you. In fact, I think we should get along. After all, the man that I find myself willing to open up to is a part of you, and you a part of him." Her eyelids lowered as did her torso. Her hair fell and brushed against his cheek. "Please take care of me. I'm looking forward to it."

"As am I," Yoko responded, lifting his upper body by use of his arms. He balanced his weight with one as his other hand reached up to caress the foreign woman's face. He brought his face very close to Scarlett's. She didn't bat an eyelash. This wasn't a surprise. From the beginning, her skinship knew no bounds. "You are quite the woman, Scar." She, in turn, grinned widely.

"You're just saying that because it's true," she said. Yoko smiled, and then moved forward. His lips lightly touched hers, but she pulled away, shifting her gaze down. "That doesn't mean you can kiss me." Slowly, she returned her eyes to focus on his golden orbs. "I don't want to feel like I'm cheating or something."

"As I said, we are one in the same," Yoko repeated.

"No, my feelings for you are very different from what I feel for him," Scarlett stated.

"I suppose we have to change that then, _hm_?"

Again, his lips found hers. This time she didn't pull back. As he kissed her, she felt his hand slowly slide down her skin. He probably believed that his tongue was distracting her. Scarlett had to admit, though, he was quite skilled. But that didn't mean she became totally unaware of his actions. He was attempting to slip his hands under her shirt. "Stop," she murmured. Yoko actually did do as she requested. Scarlett pressed her forehead to his. "You must know one kiss isn't going to change my feelings, right?"

"That is why I wish to take this further," Yoko countered. Scarlett laughed a bit, resting her elbows on his shoulders, and then she became straight-faced.

"No," she said as if he had politely asked her run in front of a train. "Shuichi-kun… I want him." Yoko looked as though he might have sputtered a protest. To save him from embarrassment—because honestly, she would have laughed obnoxiously—gave him a hard kiss that effectively cut him off. His body tensed, shocked at her actions. Gradually, the feeling of her lips pressed against his softened until she they no longer touched. Her tongue then darted out and licked his chin, taking the blood with her. His eyes flickered from gold to green. Scarlett smirked, showing her teeth. "Shuichi-kun… _Now_."

"You are quite the woman," Yoko repeated, mirroring the smirk. "I'll oblige… _this_ time."

"Yes, yes," Scarlett nodded her head. He closed his eyes. Seconds later, they opened, revealing vibrant green. "Blood taste weird," she told him. Kurama blinked, and then chuckled.

"It's an acquired taste," he said. Then his expression turned serious. "Scarlett, if you are uncomfortable with my other side, I can control his appearances."

"Uncomfortable isn't the word I'd use," she murmured. Like before, she brought him closer, her cheek pressed against his. "More like… a cat that keeps sneaking into your house and you have no choice to keep it because it's grown on you." Kurama raised a brow. "Don't worry, I clearly know the intentions."

"Yes," the red head murmured, closing his eyes. His arms encased her again. "I wish to gain your heart. He wishes to gain your virginity."

"_Haha_—like that's going to happen," Scarlett said. "I'm only going to give it to the man I love the most." His grasp on her tightened as he murmured her name. "_Hm_…?"

"May I kiss you?"

"Must you ask me that?"

"No, I suppose I don't," Kurama remarked. The corners of his lips tugged upward. He turned his head, planting a soft kiss on Scarlett's cheek. She squeezed her eyes closed, not expecting a jolt to travel through her body from the contact. Suppressing the trembles, the young woman almost sighed when he pulled away. "Forgive me." His words confused her. Scarlett opened her eyes as her brow furrowed. A small, barely audible, gasp let her mouth. The intense look in his eyes caused her to freeze. He was so _close_, too. It wasn't as though she was uncomfortable. Rather, it was a bit out of character for Kurama. Usually, he kept his distance. Scarlett was sure that there would be some type of distance, at least in the beginning of the courtship. Did this mean the distance between them was nonexistence for him now? Could he do as he pleased now? "There is something I did not mention," he continued. His eyes never left hers. Scarlett remained frozen. "You see, I have been holding back." And that, right there, confirmed it. He was going to do whatever _he_ wanted. "I won't do that anymore." She could not control the shudder that traveled across every inch of her skin.

"_Suddenly… it feels like I'm a paper tiger, facing a hurricane,"_ Scarlett thought, trying to keep a nervous look from her expression. _"Shuichi-kun may be younger than me, but his mind is more experienced…"_ Kurama lifted his hand. His index finger and thumb tilted her chin up. Slightly annoyed that she felt some embarrassment, she tried to save face. "Well, I would hope you wouldn't go about this with a half-assed attitude," she replied.

Her attempts to cover up her nervousness only made Kurama smile. He wondered when it had become so easy to see right through her. The back of his fingers traveled up, stopping to tuck strands of her dark hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't dream of such a thing." His words were whispered in her ear. Try as she might, she could not contain the groan that surfaced due to the fact that Kurama had nipped at her outer ear. Repeatedly. Her shoulders tensed and her fingers curled on his shoulders. His name jumped from her parted lips. "I'm going to kiss you again." Kurama's mouth hovered over her cheek, slowly moving towards her lips. As he said, he kissed her lightly.

Expectedly, he felt something—a pleasant piercing sensation. A simple kiss caused such a feeling, and he wanted more. Kurama tilted his head, pressing a bit harder. She opened for him, allowing his tongue to enter. An incredibly hot feeling washed over him and invaded his body. The feeling was foreign to him. He hadn't felt this the first time they had kissed. Still, he wanted more. He could feel her pulling away, most likely in need of air. No, that was too fast. His hand gripped the back of her neck as the kiss deepened. Scarlett whimpered as he turned, pushing her back to the floor. He allowed her a second to breathe before indulging himself yet again.

It was so hot. So good. He couldn't stop. He didn't _want_ to stop. Beneath him, Scarlett pushed against his chest. No, she wasn't pushing against him. She was trying to remove his shirt, pulling at the cotton fabric. The woman moaned in his mouth. Kurama's eyes shot open. He hastily separated from her. He almost couldn't believe. Losing control in an instant—he hadn't thought it would be so _quick_. The red head panted and closed his eyes. His confidence for enduring the courtship was beginning to fade. Even now, he had an intense urge to take her now. Fortunately, that was—slowly—ebbing away. His hands clenched into fists. He needed to be stronger than this. He _had_ to.

"Ku… Kurama," Scarlett caught his attention. He opened his eyes, staring down at her. Despite looking a bit irritated, she appeared disappointed.

"I'm sorry… It would appear as though I don't have a lot of control when it comes to you," Kurama stated. Her expression only turned smug.

"Don't hold back," she told him. "Even though you're a damn good kisser, I can control myself a bit."

"Would that be enough?"

"Like my mom used to tell me… 'If it's not enough, make it enough,'" Scarlett recalled. She then smiled. "I've been making it enough for most of my life. I… I can handle this because… I do want to love you." Her arms stretched, wrapping around his neck. She pulled him down again.

"I want to love you as well, Scarlett." He planted a gentle kiss to her left cheek. "Now that I know what it's like… perhaps I will have better control." It was false hope. More than likely, it would be the same each time, only becoming harder the deeper the intimate contact.

"Even if you don't, I'll pull you out. I will," she promised. Kurama was silent for a few moments. She had effectively calmed him down somewhat. Scarlett was not a demon. She could possibly be able to overcome the euphoria. "Again…?" He bit his lower lip, and then shook his head.

"I think it would be best if we postpone kissing for awhile," Kurama answered, which made Scarlett pout. "There are other things, after all." She nodded in agreement as her arms unwound from him. With a sigh, the red head removed himself from on top of the young woman. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling her blue eyes on his person. Then she draped an arm over his chest. Kurama shifted his gaze. She smiled again.

"I can't be sure what I feel is the same as love, but we can figure this out together," Scarlett told him. He blinked, realizing that the sentence was almost the same as what he had said to her previously. Kurama returned the smile, and then moved to embrace her. He closed his eyes, breathing in.

"I'm sure we will," he replied.

0-0


	15. Chapter 15

It had been three weeks since the closing of the case. Many things had happened in that time period. For one, Kuronue had quickly found out about the courtship deal and was quick to grin and make teasing comments. The blabbermouth had told _everyone_ he could, too. Worse than Botan. Speaking of the blue-haired grim reaper, she didn't get to hear the gossip from Kuronue. She had been in Spirit World, acting as a sort of spy for Koenma, who had been in hiding. The prince had refused to return home, thinking he would be killed. Really, he was being paranoid about the whole situation.

Yusuke and Kuwabara had returned to school. The latter had actually become determined to pursue education seriously. The former… skipped relentlessly. Then again, Yusuke was never one to go to school in the first place. However, it had become a bit worrisome. The boy hadn't seemed interested in anything. There were times he had come over to play, but in the end, he would only mope about and brood over who knows what. Kuronue had remarked that Yusuke was merely feeling depressed because there was no one who could challenge him. Highly annoyed with that attitude, Scarlett had promptly kicked the younger teen out. She still had been sore with the being weakest of them, so she had took it out on the person who was depressed about being _too_ strong, telling him to get a job. Taunts and insults were exchanged, and Yusuke hadn't been back since.

Also, in those three weeks, Scarlett worked hard to gain complete control over her psychic abilities. She had visited Genkai a number of times. The old woman had not been nice about it, not once. Not only that, but Scarlett had gotten into the swing of writing again. The local library had become a second home. Kurama had been gracious enough to buy her floppy disks so that she may save her work. It felt so weird using floppy disks again, but in this time and place, it was the norm. As he was mostly bored, Kuronue had tagged along to the library—or to Genkai's temple—as well. As Kurama still had school to attend, the demon had found and latched onto any amusement he could find—Scarlett. She hadn't been too happy being his source for entertainment. Then again, she hadn't been too happy about Kurama's other best friend either.

Hiei had heard through the grapevine—the blabbermouth known as Kuronue—about her current relationship with the red head. He had not been pleased with the new information. Well, he had certainly threatened her as if he wasn't. Had taken his sword out and everything. Scarlett had never been seriously afraid of the little fire demon until that moment. Apparently, Hiei was very overprotective of Kurama. Should have taken that into consideration when she agreed to the courtship. Fortunately, though, he had seemed _somewhat_ satisfied with her serious attitude towards demon courtship. Hiei had still smacked down hard on the top of her head for drawing on his face. Then he had demanded his 'sweet snow.' What a great comrade and friend to have, right?

Still, Scarlett had understood the meaning behind his threat. After all, Kurama was a great person. She couldn't believe that she had ever thought otherwise. Despite his school duties, he had spent time sparring with her. Because of this, Scarlett had found that Kurama was surprisingly competitive. He had not gone easy on her just because he was clearly the better fighter. Through this, she had also found that she was a bit of a masochist. Normal people wouldn't find the person that continuously knocked them to the ground handsome. Anyway, it wasn't like he was beating her too badly. Besides, he had always treated her properly afterwards.

However, on this night, things were a bit different. Scarlett scowled lightly at the sight before her. Instead of sitting on the couch beside her host, she was sitting in a chair, glowering and treating her injuries by herself. Clicking her tongue, she applied more ointment to a cut on her arm. In her spot was the source of her annoyance. The demon who had also become a guest in Kurama's home was such a troublesome moron. Now that she thought about it, he would often interfere with the interactions between herself and the host as of late.

"_Ow_~! Be more gentle, Kurama~!" Kuronue whined. Scarlett almost ripped the gauze bandages. Swallowing hard, she continued to wrap her injured arm. Kurama frowned and told his friend to stop squirming. "But it hurts much more than what _she_ did to me!" The demon had the nerve to glare in her direction. Scarlett returned the glare, along with her middle finger.

"If you didn't feel the need to pop out of nowhere then I wouldn't have been scared, thus my territory wouldn't have opened with Sesshomaru-sama there ready to kill you!" she exclaimed. Kuronue merely waved off her logic as if to say 'details shmetails.' Scarlett wanted to lunge at him so badly. "Anyway, it's definitely your own fault. I'm surprised you were quick enough to dodge that decapitation." The demon crossed his arms with a snort.

"I'm not as incompetent with combat as you think I am," he said.

"Just merely incompetent," Kurama remarked, applying the large adhesive bandage to Kuronue's left cheek.

"Hey! What happened to bros before hos?"

"Who the hell are you calling a ho?!"

"Kuronue, what you did tonight was your own fault," Kurama agreed as he placed the contents back in the first-aid kit. Ignoring his friend's pout, he stood up with the kit after he was finished. "Perhaps you've learned your lesson this time and will not attempt to involve yourself into our affairs in the future, _hm_?" There was further pouting from Kuronue whilst the host placed the kit back where it belonged. "I'm going to shower now. Please don't destroy the place while I'm gone."

"Oh, I'm going to the library to drop off a few books, anyway," Scarlett announced. Kurama smiled at her, and then nodded. "Come with me, Kuronue!" she said, standing.

"Why?"

"Because you're my _friend_!" she stated. Kuronue merely gave her a blank look. "Because I'll be by myself, at night, at the mercy of potential rapists and serial killers!" The demon frowned still not convinced as to why he should venture out. Kurama had to stifle a laugh because he knew that it was those types of people that should be more afraid of her. "Because I want a piggy back ride." Of course, Kuronue's eyes furrowed and he gave her a skeptic look. Scarlett narrowed her eyes and held up a clenched fist. "Because I'll beat the _shit_ outta you if you don't!" she threatened.

"Good point, Scarlett! Let's go!" Kuronue was quick to leap from his sitting position. The young woman smirked smugly. Kurama chuckled lightly as he left the room. A bright smile made its way onto Scarlett's face.

After retrieving the three books from her room, Scarlett and Kuronue set off. The library was about ten minutes away. It gave her plenty of time to interrogate the tall demon. Honestly, she was really irritated with him. Weeks had passed and tonight _would_ have been the first time Kurama allowed _kissing_ to be involved in the courtship. Ever since that first—second, whatever—time, she had been itching for his kiss. However, both of them agreed to focus on other aspects as to be careful. It had finally seemed as though Kurama was going to kiss her tonight. That's when Kuronue came from nowhere, screaming at the top of his lungs. That had not been the first time he had done so.

Scarlett glanced at the demon from the corner of her eye. They were far enough away from the house now, so she should begin now. "Kuronue…" she began. He had immediately interjected that he would not be giving her a piggy back ride. "That's not it!" Scarlett muttered. "I want to talk about why you've interfered more than once with me and Kurama's courtship!" She planted her feet even as Kuronue continued walking. "Tell me right now!" Finally, he stopped. Gradually, he turned to face her. With a serious expression on his face, he spoke words that seemed to reverberate through her body.

"It's because I like you too much."

Eyes wide, she stared at her companion. That one sentence seemed very much like a slap in the face. It was though the world had suddenly frozen, yet the cold wind didn't let up. Coming in between friends? Having two guys at once? It seemed to be something straight out of a drama. Without a doubt, she could state that she didn't like it. At last, Scarlett blinked. A neutral expression appeared. "Your feelings for me are in vain. I won't return them." For a long time, Kuronue merely stared at her. Then his lips upturned in a mischievous smirk.

"You silly human, I didn't mean in that way!" He had the gall to stick his tongue out. "You're pretty vain, aren't you?" To Scarlett's chagrin, he dodged her high kick. "Hey, hey now! Let me explain! I still meant what I said! It's not my fault _you_ misunderstood!" Kuronue held his hands up in defense. This time, he barely avoided a punch. "Okay, okay! I get it! Stop trying to hit me!" After a few more attempts, and a lucky shot, Scarlett stopped attacking. Holding his aching stomach, Kuronue continued. "What I meant was… I like you too much—as a sibling!"

"That doesn't explain why you have intervened," Scarlett stated. The two of them resumed walking by each other's side. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well…?"

"Truthfully, I think the courtship is quickly coming to an end. By the end of the month, I'd say," Kuronue replied. "It's so obvious that the courtship's not needed anymore. It may not be the next time you two decide to make out, or the time after that, but soon, Scarlett, the stage before mating will start." She stared blankly at him as if she didn't understand. "… You two are already in love with each other." Her cheeks nearly glowed.

"You think so?!" It wasn't in Scarlett's nature to be bashful. It was almost weird. "Because I've been… finding him more and more…" She let out a dreamy sigh that caused Kuronue to shiver in mild disgust. The human was definitely not thinking pure thoughts. "Wait." She lost the look—thanks to all that's powerful. "Kurama told me courtships usually last years or even decades. Of course, I'm hoping this won't last for a decade, but why do you seem so sure our courtship will end this quickly?"

"What he told you was on average, but there are cases where a courtship lasts centuries," Kuronue explained. "Obviously, you two won't fit into the below average category. There there's the above average category. In these extremely rare cases, the courtship can last for mere weeks, or less."

"You're saying… Kurama and I belong to that category?" Scarlett asked. She closed her eyes for a moment. "I wonder if it's because I'm human."

"That may be the case. This isn't the first time courtship involved a demon and a human," Kuronue remarked. Blue eyes turned to him in surprise. "My mother often told me about this union. The courtship lasted a mere few _days_." His indigo eyes looked up. "That is a phenomenon among demons, and is equivalent to what you humans refer to as love at first sight."

"Demons didn't view it as an abomination? That's weird."

"That's because no one found out about it until nearly a hundred years later," Kuronue said. "Lower class demons did indeed view the union as an abomination. A small population of higher class demons did as well. After all, the demon was the strongest of all, and the human was weak and fragile. Many sought out the woman's descendants to kill. However, the woman died in child birth and the Halfling disappeared, hidden from the world."

"This must have happened before the kekkai barrier came about, right?" To answer her question, the tall demon nodded his head. "A phenomenon and an abomination at the same time… You demons really _are_ weird." Kuronue rolled his eyes.

"You humans don't have rights to talk," he muttered. There was a moment of silence. Scarlett stretched her chin up, looking up at the night sky.

"I still don't understand," she finally said, turning her eyes back to the path in front of them. "What does all this have to do with you trying to stop our courtship from going to the next level?"

"Don't get me wrong, Scarlett," Kuronue lowered his head again. "I'm not trying to completely halt the relationship between you two. It's just… I'm thinking that perhaps you won't survive."

"I might _die_?!"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then stop being so vague!"

"Listen, already! I… You're human. Kurama may appear human, but he is definitely a demon with demon instincts," Kuronue said. "You could become seriously injured when it comes times for him to take your virginity. Also, would you die in childbirth like that other woman?"

"… _That's_ what you're worried about?" Scarlett produced a flat look. "You're a pervert, aren't you?"

"NO!"

"_Che_…" She scoffed and averted her eyes. "Seriously… I know what I signed up for. You don't have to tell me that. Besides, that woman—you said so yourself. She was fragile and weak. It's not too surprising she ended up dying. I'm not like her." By now, the two had made it to the library. Quickly, Scarlett dropped the books into the slot. Narrowed eyes turned in Kuronue's direction. "Now, tell me the real reason you're trying to stop us from reaching the next stage this quickly."

"… You saw through me, did you?"

"Of course I did," she stated. The two began their journey home. "I'm used to reading people clearly. Though, you are quite hard to read at times. I guess that's a trait amongst demons." Kuronue actually chuckled. "Are you going to tell me?"

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you," he said. "But there is something happening… Something big, and I don't think neither you nor Kurama—_especially_ Kurama—will be able to just endure it."

"What does that mean?"

"I can't say."

"…" Scarlett scowled. All that build up for nothing. Kuronue certainly liked to pull her along, didn't he? "It's a dangerous situation, right? You're thinking it's best to stop us before we get too much involved? How do you even know about whatever is happening?"

"Let's say a little blue ogre told me after a bit of coercion," Kuronue responded with a grin.

"_Poor George,"_ Scarlett thought. "Does Kurama know? Does anyone else know?" she asked out loud.

"Not yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be revealed soon. Kurama will probably have my same line of thinking when he learns of it."

Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows and stared down at the ground. Kurama would want the courtship to be put on hold, too? That didn't sit well with her. It made her feel a bit sad, and also angry. Just when things were going well, a big dangerous situation had to happen. _"Where would that lead us, though?"_ she thought. She wouldn't want to start over. She didn't want a break either. It was highly possible that Kuronue's observation was correct—that both parties were already in love. _"What should I do with this information?"_ _Could_ she do anything? Not really. She didn't have enough information in the first place. _"I wondered if these peaceful times would last. I guess I got my answer."_

The two continued home in silence. When they finally reached the Minamino residence, Kuronue was quick to turn around. He said that he was going to drop by the convenient store for snacks. "Kuronue…!" she called to him. He turned his head. "You… what you told me-"

"You're not going to listen, right?" he asked. Scarlett nodded her head. The demon sighed heavily. "Now I know how Hiei feels when you disobey him." Kuronue started walking again. He stretched his hand up in a wave. "Don't have too much fun, alright?"

After telling him to not be such a pervert, Scarlett headed inside. Compared to outside, it was much warmer. Scarlett slowly closed the door behind her and removed her shoes. She called out, alerting Kurama that she was in the house. Though, he probably already knew that. "Where's Kuronue?" his voice questioned. Scarlett snapped her head in the direction of his voice. The red head was in the middle of drying his hair with a towel so he probably did not see the fiery red blush or the bit of drool. The reason for this was because Kurama chose to come out with his pajama pants. No shirt. His top half was still wet. Droplets of water slid down his torso. He did this shit on purpose, didn't he? He was quite sneaky. Finally, his green eyes looked her way. Scarlett quickly wiped the drool away.

"He's… _uh_… He went to the store after he dropped me off," she stated. Kurama didn't seem to notice her awkwardness. He sat down on the couch, still drying his hair. "I'm going to… use the furo instead of showering. That's okay, right?" He looked up at her.

"Yes, of course," he answered. His eyebrows knitted together. "You don't have to ask." For a moment, she only stood there, staring. "… Scarlett…?" In response, she walked over to him. "Is there something wrong?" She sat down without a word. Kurama was becoming more and more confused by her actions. At last, her mouth opened.

"I want to kiss," she said.

"Pardon?" He felt himself flush. Scarlett sighed out, and then looked him in the eye.

"I want to kiss," she repeated. That was the warning he received before she straddled his lap. Well, this was certainly sudden. Not that it was unpleasant. Truthfully, he had wanted to kiss her as well. However, doing such an act could lead to other things. And to have that happen this quickly could end badly. He didn't want that. "Taunting me with your body like this… You sneaky jerk." Before he could explain she was incorrect—his intentions were _entirely_ pure—she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. His insides felt as though they had been replaced with feathers. Kurama closed his eyes. His fingers twitched, wanting to touch the woman on top of him. Control. Control. Control. It repeated like a mantra in his head. "_Ah_!" Scarlett pulled back, blushing. For a moment, he froze, and then hastily removed his hands from her right breast and back. Apparently, the mantra hadn't worked. "Whoa… _That_ kiss made do that? You have no control, huh?"

"No, I suppose I do not," Kurama let out a nervous chuckle. Smiling, Scarlett slid her fingers up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. She tilted her head and moved to kiss him again. "Scarlett, I don't think-" She had completely ignored him. _"Could've been a demon…"_ The fleeting thought came as his self-control left.

She felt him stand, so she automatically wrapped her legs and arms around him. The light kisses she gave him quickly became deeper. She felt herself quickly becoming lost in his kiss. Scarlett opened her eyes, feeling her back press against something soft. He had carried her to his room. She hadn't noticed at all. On top of her, he pulled away, but only for a moment. He licked her skin—from her jaw to her temple. Mentally, Scarlett gasped. His intention was to… She stared into his eyes. There was something different about his shade of green. Her fingers gripped the covers underneath her. It seriously felt as though her heart had stopped. Her face flushed as sweat formed. This must be what Kurama had meant when the blood _reacts_. If this was how she was feeling, Kurama must be feeling it to the extreme. No wonder he couldn't control himself.

Scarlett lowered her eyelids. On either side of her head, his hands were curled so tight that the blood had receded from his knuckles. Kurama's teeth clenched and his eyes were shut. Even now, even after he made his intentions clear, he was trying to restrain himself. She frowned. Then she reached up, cupping his cheeks. His eyes opened. He blinked twice. "Don't," she whispered. Her touch was light as it traveled further, intertwining her fingers with his hair. "Don't hold back anymore." Lifting her torso, she returned his action. He shuddered as her tongue moved up his cheek. "I love you, too."

"Sc-Scarlett…" Kurama murmured.

"Don't be like that. I'm going to get mad soon."

"Forgive me." He briefly closed his eyes. "I will make it up to you now." Kurama grabbed her right wrist, and then her left. He pulled her up into a sitting position. Next, he pulled her shirt up, removing it from her body. His hands reached around her as his lips pressed against her neck again and again. He also sporadically sucked on her skin as well. Through clenched teeth, she moaned his name. Her clasp came undone. His kisses traveled up until they reached her lips. He removed her bra and tossed it over his bed as he continued to kiss her. Kurama gently pushed on back. He lied on his side beside her. His hand gripped her left breast. She opened her mouth, gasping. Immediately, his tongue entered. Again, she moaned.

Kurama continued to fondle her skin, taking pleasure in the sounds she made because of it. No. He was practically drowning in it. Lowering his touch down her sweaty and flushed skin, he gave her a moment to breath. His teeth nibbled at her jaw line as his fingers found the button of her pants. He only got as far as unzipping before her hand grabbed his wrist. Halting his actions, his green eyes focused on her blue ones. "You first," she said. Her other hand tugged at his elastic band. Their gazes didn't falter for quite some time. Finally, Kurama smiled.

"So demanding," he commented. "I was wondering where the woman who said she'd dominant me had gone." Scarlett poked her lips out, pouting.

"I never said I would be submissive, but I suppose I can let this slide. This is a one night only type of deal, though." She sat up, causing Kurama to do the same. "Take off your pants."

"_Doesn't quite seem that way,"_ he thought as he followed her demand. Scarlett crossed her arms and frowned. _Ah_—the underwear, too then? Her gaze sharply turned down after he had removed his second later. It made him feel self-conscious. Then, however, her face reddened considerably. Although her expression remained the same, the blush was undeniable. "Scarlett…?" Her eyes snapped back up. She coughed and cleared her throat.

"Oh, it's my turn," she murmured. Unabashed, she removed the last bit of her clothing. For more than a moment, Kurama stopped breathing. It felt as though his core was frozen, yet shaking at the same time. There Scarlett sat, completely exposed to him. Her naked flesh was so beautiful. _She_ was beautiful. Seeing her like this—he wanted to touch her so badly. But at the same time, a part of him felt that she would break because of it. He reached for her, but curled his fingers. "Don't be like this, Kurama." Scarlett held up her hand, palm facing him. "Touch me, kiss me—I _want_ to feel your arms around me."

"Scarlett…" His arm stretched again. Two fingers touched her palm. "I want that as well, but already… I feel my control slipping."

"Then let it slip." Scarlett quickly moved and grabbed his wrist. She made him touch her. Immediately, it felt as though fire had replaced his blood. His throat constricted. He couldn't breathe. His sight blurred. He couldn't see. His brain shut down. He couldn't think. His fingers clenched around her flesh. But he could feel. That's all he needed. That's all that matter. Her body against his—that is what he must have.

Scarlett flinched, and then gasped loudly. Kurama had suddenly launched forward and grabbed both of her breasts. Unceremoniously, he began licking and sucking them. What was it with demons and tongues?! Not that she found it unpleasant. She was just… curious about how it began, that's all. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes. It felt _great_. She released several groans. Her hands lifted and held his cheeks, raising his head. Both panted lightly. Scarlett lowered her eyelids. She had never seen such an expression on Kurama's face. His gaze looked intoxicated. Intoxicated by _her_. She smiled, opened mouth. The warm sensation in her cheeks grew hotter. Closing her eyes, her parted lips kissed his. A muffled grunt only made her press harder until his lips opened for her. The erotic dance of their tongues began. Neither had wanted it to end.

However, it had to come to an end. Scarlett pulled back first. Kurama didn't seem to appreciate that. His hand gripped her shoulder and pushed her down. His body hovered over hers. He breathed out slowly, and then lowered himself. His kiss was rough, and yet she couldn't resist. Her fingers slipped down his chest and torso. He shivered as he broke the kiss. Scarlett opened her eyes. Kurama's eyes, though, were squeezed shut. The young woman underneath him blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. She realized that he was restraining himself again. Her gaze shifted down. _"Ah… He's trying not to just take it. His sexual desire is approaching the peak—the hardest moment to overcome,"_ she thought. With that thought in mind, the corner of her lips tugged upward.

She lifted her top half and focused on kissing her host's neck. Expectedly, strained gasps came forth. "Sc-Scarlett…! Sto-Stop… now… _Ahh_!" His panting increased even as his teeth clenched. Ignoring his pleas, Scarlett continued her actions, working up to his jaw. Repeatedly she nipped at his skin. He was sweating so much more now. At last, she stopped. Love. She was doing this because she loved him, and she knew that he felt the same. He had to know that she completely believed in him, and so she told him. His body immediately froze. He pulled back, eyes wide. "Scarlett, you…" he murmured. Then Kurama smiled. His body lowered again until it pressed against hers. "Thank you." His nose rubbed against her neck before he licked her there. Scarlett swallowed. She felt his mouth widening.

His teeth sank into her skin. She screamed out. He knew that it would hurt her. However, this needed to happen. Piercing her flesh was required. Gradually her pained screams turned into groans of mere discomfort. That was good. Kurama bit his own lip, drawing blood. Much like before, their blood mixed, thus completing the step before the act of mating. Kurama withdrew slightly and licked his lips. For mere humans, blood tasted metallic. For demons, though, the taste was much more pleasant.

He still felt the blood rushing through his veins, but he had calmed a bit after successfully marking. Breathing out slowly, he opened his eyes. Scarlett appeared weary from the experience. Smiling, he gently kissed her temple. Her eyes cracked open. She gave a grin. Reaching up, her fingers touched the back of his neck. He felt her thumb moving left and right through his hair. "I'm ready," she murmured. Biting her lower lip, she shut her eyelids. The corner of Kurama's lips tugged upward in a gentle smile. He kissed her forehead lightly. "Kurama… I'm in love you." He chuckled.

"That's good to know," he replied, earning a playful glare from the woman beneath him. His lips touched hers again in a deep kiss. "I am in love with you as well." Her palm cupped his cheek. "Allow me to take the gift you have only offered to the man that you love the most." Her eyelids lowered a bit. Scarlett smiled and nodded. "Then let's proceed."

The two made love into the early morning hours.

0-0

Almost finished…! Stick around until the end, okay?

And review, too. I _like_ those.


	16. Epilogue

It had been days later that the 'something big' was revealed. Yusuke had gotten himself invited to his ancestral father's domain. Apparently, King Yama had allowed such a thing to happen as to get rid of the powerful descendant of the Ma-zoku. He had wanted to get rid of two other powerful demons as well—Kurama and Hiei, and so they had been given portals to Demon world as well. The two, however, had not left until much later after Yusuke's departure. Kuronue had been made to stay in the human world just in case.

That had taken place a year and a half ago.

Scarlett sighed heavily as she sat back in the chair. Her blue eyes stared at the computer's screen. More specifically, her gaze was trained on the last sentence she had written. For a few moments, she merely stared, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Finally, a look of enlightenment touched her face. _"And here I thought I would get writer's block again!" _she thought. Her fingers rapidly struck the keys of the keyboard. In just a year, she had written two best sellers. Of course, she had to write under a different name as she didn't really exist in this world, but Koenma had made things easier for her to publish her works. At the moment, she was working on a children's book. The woman didn't know why, but she had an urge to do so a few weeks back. With any luck, she'd been done with the manuscript in a few more days.

"Are you ready to go?" A familiar voice sounded close. Scarlett stopped typing and turned her head to face the one who had spoken. Minamino Shuichi, or Kurama to his close friends. He had been going back and forth between Human world and Demon world for awhile now. He had stated that had lost in the Demon World Tournament, which Yusuke had proposed. Kurama did so as to relay information on the tournament. The red-haired male stood by one of said close friends. Kuwabara Kazuma. The teen had had another growth spurt. Kurama would never hope to be as tall as the younger male. He had been resolute in studying, and so meeting him at the library wasn't that surprising. In fact, Scarlett had helped him quite a few times, as did Kurama. The novelist grinned and nodded her head.

"Just give me a sec," she said. The young woman saved her work, and then pushed the button on the computer's tower that spit out her floppy disk. "I'm ready." The boys must have been done with their studying session. The three left the library and began to walk. As usual, the two walked, making sure that she was in the middle. It was a subconscious thing they did, but now Scarlett didn't mind so much. She had gotten over her dislike of feeling protected. After all, the ones she loved felt that had to protect because they _loved_ her. It was a nice feeling.

"So anyways…" Kuwabara began. "It's been a year and a half."

"_Hm_…?" Kurama glanced at his friend.

"Since I saw Urameshi," the taller male clarified. "It doesn't seem that long, since you've kept coming by every now and then to fill me in, but man, times flies, _huh_?"

"You've also been studying constantly," Kurama stated.

"It's tough when they only accept you to make a quota," Kuwabara admitted. "They say I'm an official student, but I gotta pass a special final every year or I'm done… assuming my grades don't drop too low during the year and they kick me out." What he was referring to was his high school life. He was a second year student at Gaikou Fuzoku High School. He had been studying hard to maintain his grades after being accepted. He was even studying for college exams, too. Scarlett was definitely proud of the way her favorite human had developed over the time she had known him.

"Hey, Kazu-san!" A voice caused all three to stop. Another male had shouted to get Kuwabara's attention. He was with his friend, by the looks of it. "Where you headed?" Kuwabara apparently knew the two and answered honestly. After hours of studying, he was finally returning home. The guy glanced in Kurama and Scarlett's direction. He grinned. "_Whoo_! You're sure popular!" he remarked. "Which one is your girlfriend?" At the innocent question, Scarlett covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Kurama, on the other hand, glared at the two guys. "_Whoa_! A guy? No way!" Kuwabara had to hold the red-head back from attacking the ignorant humans.

No matter how much time had passed, he was still mistaken as a girl by humans and demons alike. However, he had not gotten over that. When she couldn't keep her laughter down, Kurama shifted his glare in her direction. "Do you like that I am mistaken as a woman?" he asked.

"Not as much as I like what you do to me to show your masculinity," was the coy response.

"So then you laugh on purpose because of the consequences?"

"Maybe."

"Would you two knock it off already? We're in public, you know," Kuwabara sounded highly annoyed. "_Gosh_, it looks like you're about to go at it right here! Acting like newlyweds even though it's been awhile since you two got together." Blushing lightly, Scarlett grinned and averted her eyes elsewhere. Then another pair noticed the tall teen. This time, they were a couple of girls. One of them had wanted to go out with Kuwabara, but he turned them down. Once again, Kurama was mistaken as a girl. It had taken a moment longer to calm him down afterwards.

"You're rather popular, aren't you?" Kurama asked once he was successfully calm. Scarlett held his hand to keep him that way. Kuwabara began to explain what had happened. Soon after he had started school, he had sensed an earthquake and had warned everyone. Apparently, though, the teen didn't like all the attention that much.

"_Haah_…" He suddenly sighed loudly. "A year and a half, huh?" Kurama smiled, knowing where this was going.

"Yusuke hasn't changed much," he commented. Kuwabara then asked what was taking so long for Yusuke to get back. "He said he wanted to stay until the end of the tournament."

"But that was awhile ago, right?" He looked up in thought. "He should've come back right after he lost. Is he married to the whole three years thing?"

"_Naaaaah_."

"Well, I guess you _were_ the sponsor," Kuwabara continued.

"True, true. Plus, I had a blast watching all the fights."

"Oh yeah…?" Scarlett mumbled. "That's cool. I wish I could have seen just one. Having Kurama describe the fights wasn't as good as watching would have been. He lost so quickly, too."

"Hey, now, Kurama's fight was still pretty badass, you know."

"If it were me, I would have been so pissed after losing that I would _have_ to leave," Kuwabara muttered.

"Yeah, I mean, I was mad, but it was a good loss. I've got nothing to be ashamed of."

"But you're not going to let it end like this, of course," Kurama said.

"Hell~ no! I'm already prepping for next time!" At last, the three halted at the same time. In unison, they gasped and sharply turned their heads around. Behind them, the entire time, was Urameshi Yusuke. The boy grinned and held up two fingers in a victory pose. Nearly screaming, Kuwabara asked when he had gotten back. To which Yusuke answered the he had returned a bit ago. "Before we get into my arrival, let's get something to eat. I'm hungry as hell," he exclaimed. Of course, he was still the same Yusuke.

0-0

Yusuke had excitedly explained all that had happened to him in Demon World. He had lost his fight against Yomi. However, the blind demon had lost in his next match due to the exhaustion he felt in his match with Yusuke. Apparently, they had fought each other for hours. In the end, a demon named Enki had won the entire tournament. Fortunately, he had been a comrade of Raizen, Yusuke ancestral father. As the new king of Demon World, Enki had announced a new law, forbidding any demon to cause mischief or doing evil things in Human World. This is one of the reasons that the barrier between the two worlds was taken down, much to Kuwabara's surprise.

"Well, I just love how Spirit World decided this outta no where!" he shouted. The four of them were done eating and were now heading to his house. Kurama then began to explain how it happened. Koenma had been quite busy in the Spirit World, mostly trying to impeach his father. He had been successful in his endeavors. The Great Lord Yama had authorized the creation and maintenance of countless falsified reports pertaining to demons. To increase the number of solved cases, his minions had captured lower class demons, brainwashed them, and unleashed them upon Human World with instructions to harm humans. "Why?! To what end?!" Kuwabara questioned. It made no sense to him.

"It's simple," Kurama said, frowning. "By painting the Demon World and its inhabitants as pure evil, the Spirit World can then position themselves as the Human World's only protector. That, in turn, makes their creating the barriers and claiming territories seem noble, not totalitarian. And amidst the vast quantities of energy going unused by humans are things very important to the Spirit World." The red-haired demon closed his eyes for a moment. "But Koenma's findings stood in stark contrast to the image that the Spirit World's always presented. Before the barrier was created, nearly all murders and kidnappings committed by demons were either requests or orders from humans. Humans used demons for everything—disposing of unwanted children, wiping out colonies of plague carriers, suppressing threats to their rule, soldiers for wars… Humans used demons to do their dirty work for centuries. Of course, by no means were all demons completely innocent, either." He went on to comment that Sensui did, indeed, win in the end. He had wanted to destroy the barrier. That is what happened thanks to Koenma's investigation.

With his deep words weighing on their minds, the three entered Kuwabara's home. They were greeted by a middle-aged man. He looked very much like an older Kuwabara with sunglasses, longer hair—which was pulled into a ponytail—and a mustache. "What's shaking?" he asked as the three removed their shoes. Obviously, the man was Kuwabara's father. "I heard the news," he continued, blowing out smoke from his nose. He was smoking. Scarlett grimaced as she followed her friend into his home. "Spirit World finally grew a set, _huh_?"

"Who the hell told _you_?" was the response from Kuwabara. The group reached the living room and sat down. The older man laughed.

"You need me for anything, you just say the word," he said. "Multicultural understanding and communication is what's gonna make this work. You'd better do your part, too, Kazu." The younger Kuwabara indifferently agreed. "You gotta be a goodwill ambassador to these guys now." Annoyed, Kuwabara snapped at his father. "Good! Now that that's settled… You can come in!" He raised his voice. Seconds later, Yukina walked in, hands clasped behind her. She looked quite cute in her modern clothing—jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Kuwabara nearly fell off the couch at the sight of the cute ice demon.

"Hello again," she greeted with a small smile. Scarlett almost squealed. She hadn't seen Yukina since the last time she had visited Genkai. That had been two months ago when she had mastered her ability. Kuwabara's father explained that she would be staying with them as part of a home stay. "I hope you don't mind. I know this is very sudden. I'm sorry."

"Don't say silly things, Yukina!" The goofy smile on the teen's face didn't go unnoticed. Kurama and Scarlett exchanged a knowing look. Perhaps, within a few years, there would be more demon-human mating.

After talk of old times and laughter, the group split up. Yusuke, Kurama, and Scarlett walked and talked until it was only the couple left. They walked in silence, hand in hand, and soft smiles on their faces. Upon reaching their home, Scarlett opened her mouth to speak. "Since the tournament is over, does that mean you'll stay longer?" she asked. Kurama opened the door, leading her inside. Only after removing his shoes, did he answer her.

"I suppose… However, I believe that I will need to go back periodically," he stated. Scarlett poked her lower lip out as she, too, removed her shoes. "As Kuwabara's father stated, multicultural understand and communication will be the key. Because of what I am, I'm sure my presence will be desired."

"I guess you're right," she sighed, following him further into the house. "… Could I come with you sometimes?"

"…" Kurama squeezed her hand. "It will be dangerous." He frowned a bit, noting her disappointed expression. She pulled her hand away from him. Knitting his eyebrows together, the red head turned to face her. "Scarlett…"

"No, I understand," she said. Stepping closer, she smiled. "But eventually, I'm going to convince you take me there." Again, she moved closer, causing Kurama to back into his room. Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And how, I ask, are you going to do that?"

"I'll find a way," she whispered. Her nose lightly touched his. "You just might like it, too."

"Perhaps."

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. Kurama had abruptly grabbed her hips and twirled her body. Her back had hit the top of his bed. Realizing her position, she scowled. Damn, she had been discovered, after all. "You're too smart sometimes," she appeared irritated. Kurama chuckled lightly. He whispered in her ear before nuzzling the side of her neck. Apparently, she was too easy to read. Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut, feeling his incisor sliding against her skin. Kurama moved his kisses and nips down her body. He lifted her shirt, revealing her belly. He had grown fond of kissing her stomach as of late. Scarlett ran a hand through his hair. "Kurama…?"

"_Hm_?"

"I love you," she murmured. He paused his actions, and then looked up. "Thank you for pursuing me despite my personality." Kurama smiled lightly.

"Admittedly, it was hard for me. You _were_ dense." At her half-hearted glare, he chuckled again. "But I love your personality… I love you." His body slid up against hers, and then kissed her. He felt her smile, and then her tongue. Kurama was happy to indulge her. However, before he could, he sensed a familiar presence. Mentally sighing, he stopped and sat up. "Hiei…" he greeted, looking towards his open window. The fire demon impassively stared at him from his sitting position on the window sill. Scarlett sat up as well, openly showed her annoyance. "What brings you-?" It was then that Kurama examined Hiei's body. He seemed to be badly injured, without a shirt, with bandages wrapped around his lower torso. "What happened to you?"

"Never mind that. I need a favor," Hiei said.

"Was it Kuronue again?" Scarlett questioned. "Hiei, I'm telling you that he doesn't think of this Mukuro lady in that way. He told me himself that he _likes_ that she thinks of him as her _pet_. There's no need to be jealous over their weird platonic relationship."

"Shut up. You want to die?" Hiei didn't like the implication of her words. Scarlett sighed. Kuronue had gone off to Demon World after about a month after Kurama had left. Despite that Koenma had ordered him to stay in Human World. The tall demon had become bored and wanted to see some action. He got his wish. However, he had gotten attached to Mukuro because of her power, so he decided to become her underling. Kuronue would always be a strange demon. Sometimes, he had visited with Kurama, so that is why Scarlett knew of the odd triangle between Hiei, Mukuro, and Kuronue. "Anyway, I—shit!" Hiei grabbed his stomach, wincing in pain. "Damn. If she'd fought like that at the tournament, she'd won easily."

"Mukuro did that?" Kurama asked. He stood up and walked over to his friend. "Had a lovers spat, did we?"

"I will kill you."

Scarlett stifled a giggle and rolled over to her side. Hiei was still the same old Hiei, it appeared. The woman closed her eyes, shutting out the current conversation. She wasn't that curious. Scarlett didn't realize how much time had passed, but she must have fallen asleep because she awoke to the feeling of light kisses pressing against her ear. "Kurama…?"

"Guess again," he whispered, and then tugged on her earlobe with his lips.

"_Ah_, Yo-" Interrupting her, Yoko forced her chin towards him. He kissed her hard on the mouth. Without fail, this is what he did whenever he appeared, which was frequently. Once he was satisfied, he removed his hand from her jaw and slowly parted from her, only to kiss up and down her neck. Scarlett inaudibly sighed. "What did Hiei want?"

"A flower," Yoko murmured, not stopping his rain of kisses.

"So he _is_ trying to make Mukuro happy? Doesn't he think flowers just won't cut it?" He didn't answer this time. He was too busying licking her jaw line and sliding his hand up and down her belly. "Yoko…!" She moaned out his name when he pinched her through her shirt and bra. He shifted his kisses to her lips, reveling in the sounds she made because of him. Like always, she was quick to give in. Kissing him back with the same intensity, Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck. Then abruptly, she ended it, turning her head to the side. Questioning her actions, Yoko lightly bit her earlobe again. "I… I might love you," she answered. Stopping his desires, the golden-eyed Kurama stared down at her, appearing stunned. The woman slowly moved her hands to his cheeks. "Of course, this might be one-sided, but-"

Scarlett actually let out a squeak of surprise when Yoko suddenly collapsed on top of her as though he had lost all of his strength. She tried to sit up, but he was a bit heavy. The breath from his mouth and nose tickled her neck and caused her to shudder. "You…" After a moment, he lifted his head. The young woman was quite surprise to see such an emotion in his golden orbs. He was _joyous_. "You said it," he whispered. Scarlett knitted her brow together, confused. Smiling, Yoko pressed his lips against hers. This was much different from his kisses of the past. Usually, his kisses were strong and hard—forceful. He had wanted to convey his dominance. But this… was so different. Soothing. Scarlett's eyes shut, but he pulled away before she could return his gentle kiss. "It's certainly not one-sided. May I… make love to you now?" Admittedly, she hadn't let Yoko completely have her since the successful courtship and mating of her and Kurama. Scarlett lowered her eyelids a bit.

"I'm sorry for making you hold back," she muttered.

"No," Yoko shook his head. "Forgive me for not making you fall for me sooner."

"Oh, Yoko, you're _so_ modest!" Scarlett replied. Ignoring her sarcasm, the spirit fox lowered his hand to rest on her stomach.

"Since you have accepted the two of us, would you will be willing to accept the two lives he has given you?" he asked. The young woman furrowed her brow again. "Growing within you are our offspring." Expectedly, her mouth dropped open. Unexpectedly, she literally pushed him away with so much force that it sent it over the edge of the bed.

"It can't be…" Scarlett said, mostly to herself. "Didn't I just have a period?" Yoko stood up, frowning. Her blue eyes shifted in his direction because of the movement. She sat up, legs underneath her. "Kurama impregnated me?"

"You have been so immersed in your work that you failed to realize that it's been two months since your last cycle."

"I… guess so…" Scarlett moved her hands to her stomach. Her gaze was also focused on her belly. For a moment, her fingers slightly moved against her skin.

"Are you… unhappy?" Yoko inquired.

"Unhappy…?" she repeated. She looked back up. Noting the impassive look in his golden eyes, Scarlett moved off of the bed. "No, I'm not unhappy." Her fingers slid pass his cheeks and into his red hair. "Is Kurama unhappy to have a child this soon? I mean, he's barely legal." His eyes flickered from gold to green for a few seconds before finally settling on the familiar green.

"Technically, I'm older than you," he stated.

"In an eighteen year old body," Scarlett retorted. "Oh wow… I'm a cougar, aren't I?" Kurama suddenly wrapped his arms around his lover, pulling her close. "To tell you the truth… I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner—I mean, with the way you couldn't keep yourself to yourself."

"I believe that doesn't lie entirely with me," Kurama said. He kissed her forehead. "But do not worry about age. You will not bear my children until I am in my twentieth year."

"_Eh_…?"

"It takes much longer for demons to develop inside the womb than humans."

"Is that right…? When will I start showing?"

"By this time next year, I believe."

"…"

"Scarlett…" His grip on her increased a bit. "Is this too much to take in?"

"No… It's just… This is so real."

"_Hm_?" Scarlett finally returned his embrace.

"Almost two years ago, seeing you made me feel like I'd gone nuts, but now… I'm having your twins." She sighed pensively. "It's almost makes me think I have gone bonkers, I'm really in an insane asylum, and none of this is real. _Haha_. That'd be a cop-out." Kurama suddenly picked up his lover and carried her over the bed.

"I assure you that this is real," he whispered. "You belong here with me."

"Don't you mean us?"

"Yes, of course. Both of you said that at the same time," Kurama mentioned with a smile. "Well then…" He closed his eyes. "I shall leave you for now." When he opened his eyes again, they were of the golden color of his other self. "Well then, shall I spread you like a flower?" Scarlett grimaced.

"The _hell_ did you just suggest?!" Her eyebrow twitched several times. Yoko climbed on top of her, forcing her back against the bed. "You really know how to get a girl in the mood."

"You have no idea." Yoko licked her cheek before kissing her lips. "Prepare yourself." He saw her irritated right before he found himself on his back. He blinked, and then his eyes expanded in surprise. Scarlett had switched their positions in an instant. Again. Admittedly, she had a talent for doing that. She leaned in close, showing off her opened mouth smirk.

"Shouldn't I be saying that?" she questioned. "After all…" Her hands ripped open his shirt, exposing his flesh and causing the buttons to go flying. "You like being dominated by me, _don't_ you, Yoko?"

… _Could have been a demon, indeed, huh?_

"_Shut up, Shuichi!"_

0-0

This is the end...! Thanks to all who read this story. And a special thanks to those who have commented or reviewed in the past.

I thought long and hard about revising the sequel to the original story that I had, but in the end, I decided against it. Why? The plot would be too similar to another story I had, so I decided to end it here instead of going through the motions and revising the sequel. Sorry if you're disappointed. Now, I can focus on my other stories... I think.


End file.
